The University of Toledo will join the White House and universities across the country to recognize June 18 as a National Day of Making, a celebration of students, researchers, entrepreneurs and amateurs who work to innovate through physical creation.

While the White House will celebrate with its first Maker Faire, at The University of Toledo, faculty and students will demonstrate one of its 3-D printers, a 21st-century tool that is increasingly available to inventors that can be used to quickly create prototypes to test new ideas and speed innovation.

***Media Opportunity Today***
UT faculty and students will offer a 3-D printer demonstration and announce plans to provide increased access to the device for entrepreneurs in Toledo today, June 18, at 1 p.m. in Nitschke Hall Room 1084.

“The University of Toledo has joined more than 150 colleges and universities across the nation and made a commitment to President Obama that we will work to democratize access to many of the advanced tools needed to create some of tomorrow’s most exciting inventions,” said Dr. Nagi Naganathan, dean of the UT College of Engineering.

Naganathan said 3-D printing is a high-profile example of technology that UT is committed to exposing its students to.

“These tools will be ubiquitous in the years ahead, and it is essential our students get in on the leading edge of this technology now if we want to ensure the United States is leading the Maker Movement worldwide,” Naganathan said.

Dr. Matt Franchetti, UT assistant professor of mechanical, industrial and manufacturing engineering, said the Maker initiative aligns closely with the experiential learning that is a key part of UT’s engineering curriculum.

“We already have some students submitting Maker portfolios as they apply for admission, and the College of Engineering has two entrepreneurial groups students can join to further their skills and find mentor/mentee relationships between students,” Franchetti said, adding that the college is looking to expand access to the technology beyond the college to students across campus.

“While many of them are engineers, no one college or discipline holds the monopoly on the spirit to invent and create, and we’re excited to join with the White House to bring attention to a really positive nationwide initiative,” Franchetti said.

Media Coverage
13 ABC, WTOL 11 and NBC 24 (June 19, 2014)

Since 1995 Rocket Motorsports, The University of Toledo Formula SAE team, has been building innovative vehicles for regional and international competitions.

The Rocket Motorsport team is currently preparing to compete at the Formula SAE Michigan competition, beginning Wednesday, May 14. The competition is at Michigan International Speedway and features over 120 teams from across the globe, including teams from Germany and Brazil, who are spending time with Rocket Motorsports before the competition.

Formula SAE is a student-led competition sanctioned by SAE International. Teams of college students are challenged to design, build and race an open wheel formula style racecar. Over 400 chapters at universities worldwide participate in a number of regional competitions.

Dynamic performance, design, manufacturing methods, project budget, testing and final product are judged by leading industry professionals. The judging process tests students to the edge of their knowledge by creating an atmosphere equal in stress level to marketing a product to a consumer.

Formula SAE teaches organizational, time management and leadership skills, promotes professionalism and encourages the use of cutting-edge technology. The program offers students the opportunity to apply the theories learned in the classroom and challenges students to apply new concepts and push limits, often resulting in designs at the forefront of technology.

The team is broken down into six specialized areas including team management, chassis, suspension, powertrain, electrical and composite. Each group is equally important to the creation and success of the vehicle.

“The 2013-2014 season marks the 20th year of our Formula SAE team,” said Dale Hamberg, team leader and a senior in the College of Engineering. “This year’s team includes students in a wide variety of majors, from engineering to business, and the car expresses each individual’s knowledge, research and creativity.”

For more information, contact Rocket Motorsports at sae@eng.utoledo.edu.

More than 150 future engineers and scientists will visit The University of Toledo as part of the fourth annual Women in STEMM Day of Meetings, WISDOM, on Thursday, May 8.

Throughout the event, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., girls in their sophomore year in high school will visit both the UT Main Campus and Health Science Campus to learn about science and technology through hands-on activities. The girls will explore and perform experiments in a number of areas: physics and astronomy, chemistry, biology, engineering, pharmacy, and medicine.

The event is hosted by the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Association for Women in Science, which organizes the exploration day to encourage young women to consider careers in one of the areas offered at the Women in STEMM Day.

“Girls are increasingly interested in science, but there continues to be a lower number of girls pursuing that interest in college and subsequently their careers,” said Dr. Isabel Escobar, UT professor of chemical and environmental engineering, interim assistant dean for research development and outreach for the College of Engineering, and past-president of the Association for Women in Science. “It is our goal that events like Women in STEMM Day will inspire girls to embrace science and technology.”

Students from Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local Schools, as well as Toledo Islamic Academy, will participate in the Women in STEMM Day at UT.

The students will spend from 9:30 to 10:40 a.m. in the Student Union performing activities developed by in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics that include making solar cells and “meet your DNA” experiments. From 11 to 11:45 a.m., students will visit the College of Engineering, where they will learn about earthquakes and sound, build a motor, and have lunch in the North Engineering Building. Following lunch, they will visit the UT Health Science Campus from 1 to 2:15 p.m. to learn about plastination in the Block Health Sciences Building and to make sanitizer in the Health Education Building.

In addition to the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Association for Women in Science, the event is sponsored by the Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women, the Toledo Chapter of the American Chemical Society, SSOE Group, Marathon Petroleum Corp., and the UT colleges of Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Media Coverage
The Blade (May 9, 2014)

The University of Toledo College of Engineering is hosting the inaugural Freshman Engineering Entrepreneurship Development (FEED) Angel Pitch Wednesday, April 16 at 5:30 p.m.

The event will be held at the Thomas and Elizabeth Brady Innovation Center located inside the Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex.

The Angel Pitch will showcase the creativity, diligence and enthusiasm of freshman engineering students. Teams have eight minutes each to present plans in a structured pitch consisting of six key subject areas: problem identified; solution to problem; consumer/marketplace; competitive landscape; economic model; and investment proposition. Each team will be awarded prizes and support aimed at helping commercialize the inventions.

Judges and attendees will follow the pitches using a beta version of INsight, a new mobile judging app created by UT incubation client Phabriq Development. Part ownership of the app was granted to two Phabriq engineering interns for their contributions in programming and user experience design.

Dr. Nagi Naganathan, dean of the College of Engineering, recruited Scott McIntyre, managing director of Phabriq Development and former UT manager of business incubation, to mentor freshman engineering students through a hands-on introduction to entrepreneurship with the ultimate aim of helping them learn the potential rewards and realities of self-directed careers.

FEED was created to be a student-managed group charged with helping further develop innovations imagined by fellow classmates. FEED members can explore potential future careers in a physically and intellectually collaborative environment, including being invited to biweekly meetings with the Young Entrepreneurs Society, another UT student entrepreneurship organization, founded by Phabriq entrepreneur-in-residence and engineering graduate student Michael Koludrovich.

“The Angel Pitch is the culmination of a pilot program for freshman engineers that began with Drs. Patricia Relue [associate professor of bioengineering] and Matthew Franchetti [assistant professor of mechanical, industrial and manufacturing engineering] forming freshman design clubs. I carried forward that effort by introducing students to the finer points of entrepreneurship in a hands-on way. By asking me to mentor these students, Dr. Naganathan provided the ideal opportunity to adapt my company’s development process to student initiatives,” McIntyre said.

“This initiative is made possible by the founding patronage of Tom and Betsy Brady. We are grateful to their generous philanthropy and their personal engagement. I compliment Scott and Mike on their special efforts in engaging the young students,” said Naganathan.

“As a College of Engineering, we are committed to graduating not just outstanding engineers, but also entrepreneurial leaders of tomorrow in our society,” Naganathan said. “It is about seeding and nurturing a mindset and culture of success.”

For more information, contact McIntyre at mc@phabriq.com or visit feed.phabriq.com.

The University of Toledo College of Engineering will announce a $1 million gift from Roy Armes, CEO of Cooper Tire and a 1975 UT mechanical engineering graduate, and his wife, Marcia, during a ceremony thanking the couple Thursday, March 20, at 4 p.m. in the Thomas & Elizabeth Brady Engineering Innovation Center, located in the Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex.

The gift will benefit the Engineering Leadership Institute, which was launched with philanthropic support from the Armes family in 2009 by Dr. Nagi Naganathan, dean of the College of Engineering, to provide leadership opportunities for 12 to 15 sophomores and juniors in the college.

Students in the newly named Roy and Marcia Armes Engineering Leadership Institute are nominated by department faculty and are selected by a rigorous process that includes personal interviews with the dean. The students will participate in seminars, team-building exercises, and public speaking opportunities, including attending one or more national conferences.

Joining Naganathan at the ceremony to dedicate the Roy and Marcia Armes Engineering Leadership Institute will be UT President Lloyd Jacobs, as well as Roy and Marcia Armes, and UT College of Engineering faculty and staff.

Media Coverage
The Blade (March 20, 2014)
WTOL 11, 13 ABC and WNWO (March 21, 2014)

More than 100 companies will attend the Spring 2014 Engineering Career Expo on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

The event expo will be 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. beginning in the North Engineering Building, and continuing through the first floor of Nitschke Hall and the Engineering Connector Building.

“Many companies from across the United States participate in this event,” said Dr. Vickie Kuntz, director of the Engineering Career Development Center that hosts the event. “A few of the nationally recognized companies scheduled to participate include Chrysler, Cooper Tire, CSX, DTE Energy, First Energy, General Electric, Honda of America, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Marathon and Whirlpool.”

Kuntz said in past career expos, more than 600 engineering students have attended the event to meet with employers for networking and future employment. She expects between 600 and 700 students and alumni to participate at this spring expo.

Only UT College of Engineering students, grads and alumni are eligible to attend.

“The expo is open to University of Toledo students who are enrolled in the College of Engineering,” Kuntz said. “In addition, UT engineering graduates who have been in the work force for a few years and are interested in exploring other positions also are welcome.”

Media Coverage
WTOL 11 and WNWO (Feb. 27, 2014)

Engineers Week is being recognized at The University of Toledo with a number of events demonstrating how engineering impacts daily life.

With the theme “Discover Engineering: Let’s Make a Difference,” this year’s recognition will include events Feb. 17-21 organized by the UT College of Engineering and its student groups.

“Engineers Week is a time for those of us within the profession to reaffirm our commitment to improve the quality of life of the society. It is also an opportunity to remind the citizenry how engineering enables everyday life,” Dr. Nagi Naganathan, dean of the College of Engineering, said. “I invite the community at large, both within and outside the University, to come to our college and participate in the many interesting and engaging events designed and organized by our students.”
Some of the events include:

Monday, Feb. 17

•  Minute to Win It, 2 p.m., Nitschke Hall Room 1027. Students will race to complete a series of tasks in the least amount of time.
•  Straw Tower, 4 p.m., first floor of Nitschke Hall. Students will attempt to the build the tallest straw tower.

Tuesday, Feb. 18

•  Students vs. Faculty Tug of War, 1 p.m., first floor of Nitschke Hall. Student teams will vie for the chance to compete against engineering faculty members.
•  Ice Cream in a Bag, 4 p.m., first floor of Nitschke Hall. Who knew an endothermic reaction could make such a tasty treat? Stop by to make some frozen goodness in less than 15 minutes.

Wednesday, Feb. 19

•  Engineer for a Day, starts at 9 a.m., Nitschke Hall. Area high school students will visit the University to tour engineering facilities. After a luncheon on campus, the students will shadow professional engineers in the community.
•  Aaron Kozbial, known as the professor of comedy, 6 p.m., Nitschke Hall Auditorium. The comic will entertain with clean, high-energy jokes.

Thursday, Feb. 20

•  Guest speaker Victor Antonio, 11:30 a.m., Nitschke Hall Auditorium. The former CEO of a Fortune 500 international telecommunications corporation and author of the book, The Logic of Success, will discuss why some people succeed and others fail.
•  Pop Bottle Rockets Contest, 2 p.m., Nitschke Hall Courtyard. Students will create an air pressure rocket using a two-liter or 20-ounce pop bottle and see how far the craft travels in a straight line.

Friday, Feb. 21

•  Toothpick Bridge, 11 a.m., first floor of Nitschke Hall. Students will build bridges using toothpicks and white glue, then test the bridges by adding weight until the structure fails.

Click here to read a full list of events.

Media Coverage
13 ABC (Feb. 20, 2014)

The University of Toledo’s College of Engineering Commencement remains set and will take place today at 3 p.m. in Nitschke Auditorium.

Any updates will be posted to the myUT page, utoledo.edu as well as UT’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The University of Toledo Engineering Career Development Center will host its Fall 2013 Engineering Career Expo Wednesday, Sept. 25.

There are more than 100 companies registered to attend the event with additional companies expected to register. The expo will be an opportunity for students to meet with employers for networking and future employment.

“Many companies from across the United States participate in this event,” said Dr. Vickie Kuntz, director of the Engineering Career Development Center. “Some big name participants include Chrysler, Cooper Tire, DTE Energy, First Energy, General Mills, Honda of America, J.M. Smuckers, Johnson & Johnson, Kiewit, Marathon, NASA and Whirlpool.”

More than 600 engineering students have attended past career expos, according to Kuntz. She said she expects between 600 and 700 students and alumni to participate at this year’s fall event as well. Only UT College of Engineering students and alumni are eligible to attend.

The UT Engineering Fall 2013 Career Expo will be held on the first floor of Nitschke Hall and North Engineering from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

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)