The University of Toledo Division of Student Affairs
FALL 2013 - VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Real Life, Real Learning
Beyond the Classroom Experiential Learning stretches your world
Study Abroad Go global!
Student Counseling Center Support when you need it
1 | Fall 2013
Dear UT Students, Parents and Friends: Welcome to the very first issue of a publication that celebrates the journey of which you’re all a part: the journey from first-year student to a proud graduate of The University of Toledo. We call this magazine RL for Real Life, Real Learning. It’s been created by the UT Division of Student Affairs to be for and about our students. What will you find in RL? Challenges, victories, setbacks and celebrations — they keep it real and you’ll probably experience them all. They’re the basis for the stories we’ll share with you through RL. This time we’re highlighting UT’s commitment to experiential learning — the kind of learning that lets undergraduates engage their minds through handson learning experiences outside the classroom. This is learning that can give an added boost in preparing you for jobs and careers after graduation. We’re sharing just a few of the experiential learning opportunities you’ll find at UT; all our colleges offer experiential learning. Be sure to ask your adviser about what’s right for you. Parents, you’ll want to read the interviews with members of our UT staff who also have Rockets in their families. Their parental hopes and aspirations are part of their passion for our University, a passion that translates into effective and supportive services for your own UT students. There’s a lot to celebrate at UT, so we have our work cut out for us. We hope you’ll be part of the great things that continue to happen here — those challenges and celebrations that keep it RL. Welcome!
Kaye Patten Wallace, Ph.D Senior Vice President for the Student Experience p.s. RL is also online at utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/rl-magazine
Real Life, Real Learning Volume 1, Number 1 Fall 2013 Editor Cynthia Nowak Assistant Editor Cathy Zimmer
Global perspective
Live, learn and travel your education
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Designer Anthony Tscherne Principal photographer Daniel Miller Videographer Cam Norton
COVER STORY
Reality education
Experiential learning hits all UT colleges
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RL (Real Life, Real Learning) is published twice yearly in Fall and Winter Semester by the Division of Student Affairs. Senior Vice President for the Student Experience Kaye Patten Wallace, Ph.D Office of the Senior VP for the Student Experience 3630 University Hall Phone: 419.530.2665 Office for the Student Experience 2521 Student Union Phone: 419.530.5923
Undergrad possibilities Making a difference early
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Platforms of the Future
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See-worthy Learning
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We’re UT parents,too
On the cover: Carrie Grilliot experiences athletic rehab on the field. Photo by Daniel Miller
Whole lotta thankin’. Student Appreciation Day is an annual springtime “Thanks!” to our students that combines free food, festivities and the many faces that reflect the energy, diversity and spirit of our entire University of Toledo community. Hosted by the Office of the Senior Vice President for the Student Experience, its popularity keeps growing — and this year’s perfect weather was a bonus. See more fun on Page 29!
Photos by: Dan iel Mille
r
Not a ramen noodle in sight. The UT Iron Chef Competition opened a world of culinary experimentation to students in a sizzling-skillet battle that was judged by professional chefs and food writers. Members of the top-honors team are shown at right: Antonio Allen, program coordinator for the Multicultural Leadership and Service Living Learning Community; Taylor Jennings, a freshman majoring in electrical engineering, and Carmina Burley, a freshman majoring in social work. Freshman David Calhoun was also on the team, and UT Chef Miguel Sanchez looks on. Bon appetit!
Photo by: Dani el Mille r
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Music Fest 2013 on Sept. 13. This will be one Friday the 13th with great vibes. Music Fest is an annual UT event that combines UT Rockets football fever with even hotter music. Meet the team and coaches for a season-opener rally, stay for the amazing sounds that last well into the night. Some shots from 2012: Bowling for Soup’s Jaret Reddick, and some of the appreciative crowd.
Photos by: Daniel Miller
Photo by: The Blade /Lori King
Down and dirty for UT neighbors. Jahziel Soriano, Eric Norvell and Ibrahim Shafau dump collected trash as part of BIG Event, an annual service project that fills adjacent neighborhoods with UT students who clean, repair and create sparkle as a thank-you to area residents. Sponsored by Student Government, BIG Event became the nation’s largest one-day, student-run service project. At right, student Mary Page Dalrymple has an HGTV moment.
Photo by: Indep endent Colleg ian/B
ob Taylor
MOAS (Mother of All Songsters). Whether it was dance interp, an a cappella ensemble or channeling what great-grandma sang back in the day, Songfest 2013 gave a shout-out to music lovers across the UT community. Songfest is our second-oldest standing tradition, with its roots back in 1937 when a group of six fraternities sang old college songs on the lawn behind University Hall. Today, many more groups participate, with lavish production numbers, friendly competition and big awards ceremonies afterwards. One more way to become part of UT tradition!
Photos by: Inde pen den
t Coll egia n/B ob Tayl or 3 | Fall 2013
Platforms of the Future Reinvigorated Honors College aims to develop talents The Jesup Scott Honors College takes its name from a 19th-century visionary, but its aims are wholly millennial: ”to become a symbol of the excellence for well-prepared undergraduate students,” says UT Provost Dr. Scott Scarborough, who was instrumental in developing the college’s new direction. Honoring the 1872 founder of The University of Toledo, the reinvented college is highly selective, with unique admission requirements, a major emphasis on experiential learning, and preferred access to graduate and advanced degree programs. Plus there’s an optional accelerated three-year degree program.
She’s found an invaluable resource in StrengthsQuest, a talent development system in use at more than 600 North American educational institutions. “It helps people identify how they’re wired as far as their talent themes,” Ransom explains. “It applies to every area of your life — relationships, academics, career development. I like it from a student development standpoint, because it allows them to make decisions that best leverage their strengths to get where they want to go.”
“I believe in focusing on the gifts we all have, and structuring work so people get to do more of the things they’re actually good at.” – Lakeesha Ransom, dean
At the helm: a new dean with Fortune 200 creds. Dr. Lakeesha Ransom, dean since February, brings experience in corporate, not-for-profit, educational and government organizations. A member of the Minnesota Board of Regents, she also served as a principal of Mariposa Global, a leadership/learning consultation firm. “I’m very much a strengths-based leader,” Ransom says.
As Scarborough notes, it’s anything but business as usual. “What excites me is Dr. Ransom’s unique background, touching education, leadership and entrepreneurship, that will help our honors students get the most out of their time at UT,” he says. For her part, Ransom defines herself as an usher, not a gatekeeper: “I am energized when I can help people understand where their strengths lie, then help them develop ways to tap into those strengths.
“I will promise our students that we will do whatever it takes for you to have an enriching experience — within the college and across the university — to prepare for the next level, whether graduate school, starting your own business, or working for a few years in a traditional job before reaching the next big milestone.” utoledo.edu/honors
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Revamped Student Counseling Center means stronger support, wider reach How to prevent dangerous behaviors like substance abuse or sexual assault? Experts agree: Educate, educate, educate. Thanks to a recent restructuring of the UT Division of Student Affairs, a highly focused, educationcentered approach to substance abuse and sexual assault is available to the University community. Under the new model, Dr. Stanley Edwards, director of the UT Counseling Center, provides the leadership as the center’s services expand to include educational outreach services: alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) education, and sexual assault education and prevention (SAEP). The philosophy behind the expansion, he explains, is to maximize the division’s resources by creating new bridges between areas of student services. “The Counseling Center’s special role is the educational component. In the delivery of services, education is key. Plus we have counselors with a great deal of knowledge in the areas of alcohol, tobacco and drugs,” said the psychologist who prior to joining UT spent 12 years in community health leadership.
“Together, we’ll work to create very effective programs in the areas of substance abuse prevention, and sexual assault prevention. The big winners are students and others who utilize our services.”
The student at the right is using the center’s one-on-one counseling option to address his issue.
Edwards adds, “Our goal is to meet students’ needs and help them make healthy choices in a complex world — in their personal relationships, in lifestyles, in all areas affecting their physical and mental health.” Call the Counseling Center at 419.530.2426 or go online: utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/counseling
– Stanley Edwards, director
The restructuring makes possible a number of innovations, including: • A trained social worker as SAEP‘s central advocate; the central ATOD advocate has professional substance abuse prevention background. • Five comprehensively trained front-line staff are available for SAEP and ATOD consultation and advocacy.
•U T maintains a model of regular collaboration between The Office of the Senior Vice President for the Student Experience, the UT Police Department, Residence Life, the Dean of Students, and Counseling Services. This is rare among universities; likewise, few area institutions have staff specifically assigned to the issue of sexual assault prevention and education, or use full-time staff for advocacy purposes. 5 | Fall 2013
Free student/business internship matching program launched Starting this past spring, University of Toledo students have been able to register for a new program, Intern in Ohio, which uses advanced matching algorithm technology to connect students with internship opportunities tailored to their needs, strengths and interests. Think the career placement and economic development version of eHarmony. UT is partnering with Detroit-based Digerati to provide this free service to all college students and all businesses and organizations throughout the state. “Experiential learning has never been more important for today’s college students,” says Dr. Scott Scarborough, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
“The University of Toledo is proud to bring this program to Ohio to not only connect students to great internship opportunities, but also to do what we can to retain our best and brightest in the Buckeye State and reduce the so-called ‘brain drain’ of young people moving away after graduation.” – Scott Scarborough, provost
To register, students and businesses visit interninohio.com to sign up, create a profile or post internship opportunities. Using information about the position and personal preferences, the system identifies the top seven matches for each individual student as well as to the business for each position.
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One of many internship opportuinites. Look for our video on YouTube at http://utole.do/iiohio
intern ohio When a match is made, the employer and the student are notified, and both must indicate that they are interested before any contact information is shared. Research has shown that not only do internships often lead to offers of full-time employment upon graduation, but that students are likely to remain in the area where they completed an internship. The successful Intern in Michigan pilot program resulted in more than 127,000 matches and introductions between students and employers, with 1,049 universities, colleges and schools and nearly 19,000 internship-seekers registered.
CISP/
Live. Learn. Travel. UT students can study abroad in more than 40 countries! Learn more: utoledo.edu/cisp
Study Abroad Change your world, one international experience at a time
and other matters vital for our international students.
Want to create better global understanding? Or a more peaceful world? How about enriching your own life? That’s what the Center for International Studies and Programs (CISP) is all about. Established in 2011, CISP is the campus connection to UT’s international efforts.
International students can also utilize the American Language Institute (ALI), which offers intensive English language instruction necessary for academic study, Friendly faces of CISP or for personal or resources can help you create a professional reasons. study/travel abroad plan of action. The ALI also serves the larger Since obtaining a passport is one of institution by evaluating the oral the first steps in exploring your world, proficiency of international graduate CISP is also an official passport teaching assistants and providing acceptance facility, helping the UT training for those who need it. Many community through the process. ALI students seek a college degree and enroll at UT upon completion of CISP’s Global Voices international the program. speaker program provides a roster of international speakers for classroom Another unique feature in CISP is or panel discussions. UT’s Confucius Institute, which supports, promotes and develops In short, CISP’s resources are truly Chinese Mandarin language and global — but you can access them cultural education in the United right here on campus. Stop in to States, particularly within the Toledo Snyder Memorial in Suite 1000 or community. Non-credit Chinese visit utoledo.edu/cisp to learn more. language classes are available to children, adults, businesses, travelers — anyone interested in China.
CISP works to help UT students explore their world through opportunities in study abroad, National Student Exchange, Camp Adventure, Washington Center Internships, Global Health Program and more. Information sessions are held regularly during the fall and spring semester, when students can learn about various options and how to get started on a journey of a lifetime. CISP works with American students interested in studying and living in other parts of the world and helps UT’s international students make the transition to life at UT and in the United States. CISP’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services serves as a resource for orientation, visa requirements, on-campus and off-campus housing, banking, international student health insurance
If you’re looking for personal guidance and online resources to help you get ready to travel abroad, plan for emergencies and identify insurance needs, CISP’s global assistance
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Studying abroad: options abound! UT students can earn college credit and experience living and learning in another country as a study abroad student. You can choose from summer, semester or yearlong programs. Internships, service learning and research opportunities are also available overseas. CISP partners with the following organizations in offering unique learning opportunities: University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), Semester at Sea, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, International Studies Abroad (ISA), and International Service Learning (ISL). Direct Exchange Programs include Salford‐Exchange Program, the University of Hertfordshire in England, and the Tübingen Program in Germany. With programs in more than 40 countries, students have the opportunity to enhance their resume, experience a new culture and people, and learn to speak another language. Study abroad opportunities are excellent ways to enrich your academic program, investigate personal interests, capitalize on research efforts, and develop a strong skill set for future career and academic ventures. Check out the experiences of a few recent study abroad alumni:
Strengthening language skills while studying and living in Spain It was an easy decision for Kaylee Henman to pursue studying abroad. The English and Spanish major with a concentration in creative writing traveled to Alicante, Spain, and studied at the Universidad de Alicante during her junior year. When asked why she chose to study abroad, Kaylee replies, “I wanted 8 | Real Life, Real Learning
to become more proficient in my Spanish language skills.” It was, she adds, a great way to immerse herself in the culture and the language of Spain. Living in Spain, she says, broke down barriers. She lived with a family that did not speak any English and her classes were taught in Spanish. Using Spanish every day and in every situation quickly sharpened her skills. “The people there are always ready to help you and teach you things about the city as well as learn from you. I remember waiting for the train one day and an elderly woman came and sat next to me for twenty minutes and we talked about the weather, Spain, her childhood in the small town outside of Alicante, and I told her about the U.S. and why I was in Spain. “It was just one of those really cool experiences that I could not have had here in the United States.”
International business major immerses himself in all things German To improve his chances of eventually working in Germany, international business major Noah Hartman studied at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany, in the fall of 2011. He knew the experience would refresh his high-school mastery of the German language and put his skills to the test.
Noah discovered that one of the great things about studying abroad is meeting people from around the world, even beyond his host country. “I had roommates from Brazil and Estonia,” Noah says. “I got to meet people from all kinds of cultures.” His summation? “Do it; it will change your life forever.”
Learning about history firsthand while studying abroad Seeing new places and meeting new people is what led history major Luke Harding to study at the London Metropolitan University in London, England. “I learned quite a bit about Europe and actually got to see the places you learn about,” says Luke. “I went to five different countries while I was there: Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain.”
UT Explorers: map your way to global excitement Coastering at Cedar Point, chrome and glitz at the North American Car Show, the warm
Visiting the beach every day while studying abroad
glow of Toledo Zoo holiday lights and the granola ambiance of a
Jaimee Pettis studied abroad not once but twice. This communication major first went to Toledo, Spain, during the summer of 2011, then headed off to Puntarenas, Costa Rica, the following summer.
working farm: that’s a sample of the fun planned by the Center for International Programs and Studies’ group, UT Explorers. This cadre of committed faculty,
Jamiee always knew she wanted to visit another country, calling the experience “eye opening. Being from Toledo and having this opportunity was great. I lived in a little beach town where I could go to the beach every day.” Jamiee believes that there is no reason not to study abroad and encourages students to explore different scholarship opportunities. “Don’t be afraid to go out of the country, or experience life. For me, my motto is ‘If you live your life in fear, you’ll never experience life to the fullest.’”
Gutsy! Carving their way into American culture.
staff and students plan a variety of events and activities to bring together international and American students in a fun and relaxed setting. The UT Explorers team works to improve linguistic “It’s changed me in all kinds of ways,” he adds with a smile, admitting that initially, he didn’t think he’d want to leave Ohio.
abilities, cultural knowledge and global citizenship by opening their events to all UT students. Visit utoledo.edu/cisp/utexplorers
“Now, I want to find a job where I can travel the world and am in the process of learning a different language; I hope to find a job where I can travel to different countries.”
to learn more.
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Feature Story
Experiential learning: faces of their future
Hands on, minds engaged! Experiential learning at UT has entered every college and department, with more opportunities than ever for undergraduate students. In the labs, on the athletic playing fields, in corporate offices and foreign countries — everywhere, you’ll find UT students actively preparing for a successful future. Here’s just a sampling of learning made of RL experiences for a lifetime!
Clinical experience Today it’s the baseball field. Next week it might be basketball courts or a local high school. UT students enrolled in the athletic training (AT) program get their hands-on experience in the places where their patients work, sweat and win. Standing in the Findlay Athletic Complex’s Athletic Training Room, Sarah Long, a visiting assistant professor who coordinates the undergraduate arm of the program in the College of Health Sciences, explains exactly how experiential the learning gets. “At the undergraduate level, students have classroom experience, then at least 150 hours a semester are spent working side by side with a certified athletic trainer, seeing how the skills they’ve learned are put into practice. First they see other people perform the functions in a clinical setting. Then in their junior and senior years, they’re actually performing them.” As they work with athletes in rehabilitation or evaluate an acute injury, AT students experience the full range of this health-care profession.
In the classroom, they learn the why. When they practice, it’s the how.
During the hands-on phase, preceptors evaluate the students, monitoring their progress and providing feedback. By senior year, the students become nearly independent. A UT advantage, Long notes, is its Division 1 standing, its many sports — “and a lot of local high schools. That means a wide variety of clinical education sites. “Typically it’s one sport per semester, and in some cases like men’s and women’s basketball, they’re with the team the entire season. The students really enter the flow of things, get to know the athletes and preceptors as they receive a full clinical education.” Kylie Kurek, a junior in the program, says, “I love the teams we work with — they’re like family.” Carrie Grilliot, pictured opposite, adds, “You learn how to do a lot of things, like stretches, on yourself. And we help each other out with things like back pain or checking hip alignment.” A required certification exam comes after graduation, Long explains. “Then most students go on to graduate studies. We offer that here as well. A graduate assistantship allows students the chance to work more independently and really hone their skills. After that? Well, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics might weigh in — they’ve put athletic training on their list of the fastest-growing occupations. RL - UT Athletic Trainers - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O-nkMPGAto
utoledo.edu/eduhshs/depts/kinesiology/ athletictraining/ Check out the video youtube.com/watch?v=_O-nkMPGAto http://kaywa.me/NYEv1
11 | Fall 2013 Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code!
Internships Cam Boli, who graduated in May from the College of Business and Innovation, was working in his new supply chain management job with Ford Motor Company by early June.
Shortly after, I received a phone call from Ford. They said, ‘We like you, we want to hire you full time.
It was an easy transition; he was already familiar with the work through his internship at Ford’s facility in Dearborn, Mich. — an internship that led to a job offer and his current position. Don Fortunato, director of construction and services purchasing, Ford Motor Company, says, “We’ve been recruiting interns in supply chain management since about 2007. Our interns are very much hands-on. They’re given specific assignments in purchasing. Many of them actually conduct negotiations and do real buying in the three months they’re here. All do support studies to support strategic initiatives in the sections they’re working.” At a subsequent UT job fair, Cam interviewed with a number of companies. He recalls, “Shortly after, I received a phone call from Ford. They said, ‘We like you, we want to hire you full time.’” From Ford’s perspective, says Fortunato, hiring interns makes good business sense: “What we find is that we get much better candidates; the three months’ evaluation is good for us and the interns. We’re mutually evaluating whether Ford is a good fit for them. In the end, it really tells us the caliber of the individual.”
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Cam Boli
Cam’s caliber is obvious. Has he always had such a strong work ethic? Cam grins: “No, but I changed. I think it all began in college. College definitely taught me discipline. There’s a difference between Cam the freshman and Cam the senior.” “I’m thrilled for Cam’s opportunities,” says Dr. Terribeth Gordon-Moore, the college’s senior associate dean and undergrad programs director. “He’s a real role model for our freshmen. He’s done a mentorship program with one of our employers, job shadowing and the internship with Ford in his junior year. I think he epitomizes the success we pursue for all our students.”
On-site placements Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I’ll remember — but involve me and I’ll understand. Susan Parks, center, and UT education students
There’s a sign outside the classroom at Highland Elementary School in Sylvania: “Launch into literacy with the Rockets.” Inside the brightly decorated room, there’s a spirited rendition of The Helping Hands Song going on; the tune is “Frère Jacques.” #1 strategy, #1 strategy, Frame the word, Frame the word Frame it with your finger, Frame it with your finger, Focus In, Focus in. Hands waving, toes tapping, smiles on every face, UT students in the Judith Herb College of Education sing alongside Highland kids identified as needing extra help with their reading skills. After the song, one-on-one teams pair off to work on individualized exercises strategically designed by the UT students with each child’s strengths and interests in mind. Susan Parks, lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, strides lightly between the lively conversations. A longtime reading consultant and literacy coach, she’s the creator of this placement program, now in its third year. “The intent was to better equip our prospective teachers with tools to diagnose and address literacy problems in the classroom,” she says. “It’s one thing to teach within university walls, another to be in the community.
Not until students are in the field do all the education theories they learn make full sense.” The program makes sense as well to the local school districts where it’s been implemented: Parks almost can’t keep up with the demand. “The reviews are amazing,” she says. “Parents have been thrilled.” She spends the first hour at Highland teaching theory, with the second hour devoted to the one-on-one sessions. The third hour is a debriefing. “So I’m observing them, acting as coach and facilitator. We’re focusing on their learning, their understanding. “From our own students’ perspective, the placements are important professionally. Literacy is the foundation of everything teachers do. Students need to know how to evaluate literacy properly. They end up feeling empowered; they report how these classroom strategies are so useful.”
RL - Highland Elementary - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo0wVesX1mY
Hear from UT students what they’ve learned from the placements. Scan the QR code at right with your smart phone or go to: youtube.com/ watch?v=Jo0wVesX1mY
http://kaywa.me/f5IVv
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13 | Fall 2013
Connecting with a nation’s future: Haiti’s kids
Global service learning What do you get when you drop 18 UT students into Haiti: a country where 80 percent of the population live on less than two dollars a day, where 70 percent go without electricity and 90 percent have no indoor plumbing?
In a word: EMPATHY. As part of the Center for International Studies Program, the UT students spent spring break 2013 in the Haitian city of Les-Cayes, working side by side with Haitian citizens on an irrigation project and on a basketball court for local kids.
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Here’s what they came back saying. Charnae Steward: “I came home appreciating everything I have here. It makes me want to go back and do more.”
Jiao Wu (Jo Jo): “I’m an international student from China and had a chance to talk with local university students. They asked me how it felt to do study abroad. They didn’t have the chance to come to America as I did. One day I saw a girl who was about 16 — she was holding a book as though she was trying to absorb and learn it herself. She said, ‘I wish I had a chance to study abroad like you.’ I just feel like we need to improve the education system there — for their teachers and their students.” Frances Bradford: “Haiti just brings something out in you and accepts you for who you are and makes you feel so good, so beautiful. I realized who I am and that I can do this in America.”
Jordan Keefe: “I connected with this little girl named Crystilla, the sweetest girl, very poor, I think she was abandoned by her mom. Halfway through the trip, I realized she was born with HIV. Learning that was tough because I couldn’t do anything about it, but it made me closer to her because it was so unfair it happened to her and I just wanted to show her I love her in any way I possibly could, to make her feel special. So that’s what I did!”
Jonavon Farris: “In America the Haitian people are shown to us as being outliers, people who live differently and are different from us. That’s false; they’re the same people as anyone else, they just don’t have the privileges we have. So I saw a great people, a great country, one that was given the short end of the stick.”
Cheryl Thomas: “Haiti broke my heart. Being a mom, I never expected to see the devastation and feel the pain, but to see the joy in Haitians among all the sadness was amazing; it changed me forever. I wanted to take every little kid home with me, put him in a warm bath, snuggle him up in a warm blanket.”
In a former hote l, HUT Outreach Com mun ity Center serves as hub for the Toledo-based group’s outr each min istries. In fact, HUT ’s generou s support made the UT group’s trip poss ible. More info at hutoutreach .cfs ites .org.
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Prayer s afte r hos pita l visit
Eric Norvell II: “What I brought back was a sense that we have things we take for granted, basic things like sanitation. They don’t have the option of running water! I still think about it every time I turn on a faucet.”
Matt Williams: “This trip was a life-changing experience, an opportunity to see a culture I’d never seen before. I’ve traveled globally and I’ve never seen that much hurt, that much pain — or that much joy in the midst of all these things. That was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Andrew Kurtz: “We can’t function without our laptops and iPads — Haitians don’t even think about social media, they want to play basketball and soccer. They are so happy with little things. The hospital was tough, there were a lot of difficult moments, but that’s not what I brought back with me. What I brought back was how happy they were to be there, how hard they were willing to work to improve their lives, and for me, it made me a better person so far.”
UT crew digg ing compost pit gets eager assi stance
Christopher Fofrich: “It made me reflect on my own life, be a little bit more patient, a little more happy with what I have because so many people have a lot less. I’m being more appreciative, and trying to rub that attitude off on other people.”
Rahul Prasad: “I consider myself fairly well versed about poverty and the way the rest of the world works, and how people can be satisfied with very little — but it’s different to experience it firsthand. To see the happiness in their faces was very, very powerful and something I’m going to treasure. I want to go into medicine, and those ten days were so good for immersing yourself in helping other people — I want a lifetime of doing that.” Haiti1 - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQx_wDhNrg
Watch the video here: youtu.be/VsQx_wDhNrg
http://kaywa.me/b5oDz
Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code!
16 | Real Life, Real Learning
Engineering co-op program In a sprawling network of connecting offices at Toledo Refining Company, Kyle Evers leans in at a computer station to help design piping, tanks, pumps, fuel vessels — the foundations of a 21stcentury refinery. He’s there thanks to the mandatory cooperative education program in the College of Engineering, which requires at least three semester-long work experiences. Kyle, a mechanical engineering major, is in his first. The very first job the sophomore tackled Kyle Evers was a piping project — emergency status. “The other co-op student and I worked on the drawings and got them done in one day,” Kyle says. “We sent them out to be fabricated; three days later the piping was being installed.” “It can be pretty fast-paced in the refinery business,” says Mike Michaud, Toledo Refining senior project manager and co-op program director. “That was a start-to-finish job for the two students. We went out to the field and they measured everything, then came back to do the design. Utilizing AutoCAD, one student developed the isometric piping while the other laid out the piping plan drawing, making sure all applicable standards and code requirements were being met.” Engineers don’t always get to see what they make, Michaud adds, but the UT co-op students saw the project from concept to design to actual installation.
I like the sense of ‘Here’s this project, now get it done. – Kyle Evers, student
What he enjoys most is seeing the students grow: “You get to impart what you’ve learned over the years and you get to watch them mature.” For Kyle’s part, he says he’s found his arena: “After I graduate in 2015, I’m thinking of getting a master’s degree in business and probably stay in the refining business. I really enjoy it.” eng.utoledo.edu/eecs/current_students/ coop_program.html
“Our UT students start at the beginning, learning the processes, how the organization is set up, the procedures, the intense training on safety. You learn a lot about government regulations and standards that are of benefit in today’s world,” he says.
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Karen DeJong finds the work taxing in the best way.
Professional experience, community service The tax man is never popular, but everybody knows that good tax preparers are worth their weight in gold, silver or any negotiable currency. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is a national IRS program that provides free tax preparation to qualifying individuals and families. The University participates thanks to a partnership with United Way of Greater Toledo, which coordinates nearly 50 free community taxpreparation sites. (Other partners include reps from the offices of the Lucas County Treasurer and Lucas County Commissioners.) UT students — members of the student organization Enactus — have an opportunity to sharpen their taxpreparation skills while working with real clients. At the College of Business and Innovation, more than 80 students and site coordinators recruited from the college’s Individual Taxation class walked local individuals and families through the intricacies of their tax forms.
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“I can strike up a good conversation with the client, and the tax prep goes by without us even realizing it,” says Brandi Bunch, a first-time volunteer. “I’ve been doing my own taxes since I was 16. When I learned about the program I realized it was a good thing to have under my belt.” The required IRS training and certification covered familiar material, says student Karen DeJong. “Because this is what I plan to do professionally, I wanted experience, especially from the tax laws perspective, and working with people. “And it looks good on my resume!” Countywide program volunteers prepared more than 2,600 tax returns in 2012, resulting in more than $3 million coming back to the community in federal tax returns.
Undergraduate research From entry-level physics to published research. That’s been the experience of Tyler Kinner, a junior in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Tyler’s interest in clean energy connected him with Dr. Randy Ellingson, associate professor of physics, who recruited the thenfreshman to assist his research team’s work in understanding how to best use nanocrystals — particles a few billionths of a meter in size — as components of solar cells that turn the sun’s energy into electricity. Tyler Kinner
“Tyler’s first 18 months of research provided us with a foundation for a large project we proposed to the National Science Foundation,” Ellingson says. “It’s now a $1.9 million project with multiple UT departments involved.” Research motivates him, Tyler says: “I’m coming to my regular lectures with a working understanding of what’s going on. Also, if you’re involved in research, you get to present your findings all the time. I’ve presented four times in the last calendar year.
You become a better communicator, which is an asset whether you’re going to graduate school or into industry.
Employers look for experience; there’s virtually no entry-level job in a scientific field, it’s extremely competitive. A good CV with publications will help.” The Office of Undergraduate Research has details: utoledo.edu/ RL - Undergraduate Research - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U3UW9U6Guo
Tyler adds that he was a “bright-eyed freshman with no idea of how hard research can be.
honors/undergradresearch/
“It’s definitely hard, but also rewarding. It will help pave the way to a grad school of my choice, and a job. http://kaywa.me/osO5X
youtube.com/watch?v=0U3UW9U6Guo Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code!
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Feature Story
We’re UT parents,too University staff share their experiences as parents of UT students
Patty James, Office of the President Patty’s older son Joseph took his UT undergrad degree from the College of Business and Innovation (COBI) in accounting and information systems, and finished his MBA this summer. Patty’s also mom to Steven, who graduated from COBI in May with a degree in information systems.
Both had Barb [Robertson] in COBI. She took my kids under her wing and advised them well. Both boys felt they had good professors, that the business career program was excellent. They were very involved, working 20 hours a week. Both had internships, in accounting and information systems, the latter at Eaton Corp. for the summer — once in Cleveland, once in Pittsburgh. Both were offered jobs. “Because of my kids’ experiences, I’m an even bigger advocate for UT. I couldn’t be happier for them.”
“I asked the boys prior to this interview for their good and bad. Steven wrote back right away saying what a great experience it had been, with great advising.
“I can’t say enough about the University; it’s been very good to both my kids. They have totally different personalities: Joe is quieter and commuted from home, Steven was more sociable and took the campus residency route.”
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Kyunghee (Lydia) Lee, graduate student in College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences Lydia is working on her master’s degree as she researches cancer vaccines and applies her undergraduate degree in biochemistry to medicine and immunology. Her son Moses is a freshman at UT this year and plans to study bioengineering with a minor in music performance. “Thanks to the experience I received at UT, I’ve greatly improved my career prospects. After I volunteered to work in the chemistry department three summers ago, I was working in the lab of Dr. Steve Sucheck. He introduced me to Dr. Katherine Wall, with whom I now work on my research. I really appreciate UT’s faculty and all the help they gave me.
“My son and I are international students. I love UT because they have given both of us excellent opportunities for our professional careers.”
“As a parent, I’m very excited to introduce such faculty to my son, Moses. He had been considering BGSU’s program in music education. Before he made his final decision, I told him to consider what would be more practical for a career — and that bioengineering is very strong at UT. He’ll be entering UT this fall. “Dr. Avidor-Reiss [professor of biological sciences] once told me it doesn’t matter what school you decide on. What matters is who your professors are. For my own future, I decided that I will stay here, because I have found that faculty here are very open to students and their concerns. Dr. Avidor-Reiss already suggested to Moses that he stop by to talk about his academic plans.”
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Dr. Willie McKether, associate professor of anthropology, College of Languages, Literature and Social Sciences His son Ben is beginning his senior year studying sociology, with a minor in communication. “Originally Ben wanted to attend HCBUs [Historically Black Colleges and Universities], but after his first semester at UT, he began to see people who looked like him, to identify with some of the professors. He discovered there was a life here at UT in addition to the academic side. “Ben has a great voice. He had experience as a DJ, so he started in communication. After two years, though, he took a course in sociology and something sparked for him. He is now majoring in sociology. He wanted to make a difference in his world, to talk about how
much music reflects its society. “He’s had such a great experience that he’s now considering graduate school. “One of the keys to success in college is developing a rapport with your professors. Many students do the opposite, sitting in the back of class and not saying anything. My colleagues tell me Ben sits up front and contributes. I can see where he’s developed into a good young man, and a good student as well.
“A lot of students come to college and spend their first year trying to figure it out: ‘Who am I? What’s my image that people see?’ College is an interesting journey. That’s why I like mentoring so many first-year students, trying to help them navigate that first year. The first year is so critical, so easy to get off the path if you’re not careful.”
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“It’s not a perfect world, but problems can be worked through, and successes celebrated.”
Sabina Serratos, associate director, Center for Experiential Learning and Career Services Sabina’s younger daughter Sirena, now in her senior year, is studying political science. “Sirena lived in Parks Tower her first year. To this day she won’t admit that she was homesick. She also came across groups of male students congregating outside Parks, smoking cigarettes and aggressively flirting with female students walking by. I encouraged her to speak up, and the Residence Life director invited a number of students to voice their concerns.
“In her second year, she experienced a major setback that took a toll on her physically, mentally and emotionally. She talked about maybe not coming back. That’s where being involved on campus, especially in Greek Life, really helped. Her sorority sisterhood supported her; they told her the same things about the importance of education I was telling her, but from a peer standpoint. “She did go back. She’s committed to her education and as a senior is feeling ready to graduate.”
“It was all fixed. Once the director knew the problem, they could address it. As a parent, I appreciated that, but also the opportunity to tell my daughter about the importance of speaking up.
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Feature Story
Undergrad students:
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Andrew Kurtz (College of Communications and the Arts) “I realized how simple-minded it was of me to think, ‘This person needs to do this or that.’ Once I became involved, I saw how no single person in an organization makes all the decisions. I’m realizing now how much work it is!” At 25, you’re a nontraditional student. What’s your perspective? “I took some time off from school to try to decide what I wanted to do and really commit to it. I’m majoring in communication with a focus on journalism, and I plan on a graduate degree in business. “This is my second year at UT; I’m a transfer student. My first year, I sat around and complained a lot. This year, I started actually getting involved. I found out it’s one thing to talk about change, another to help make it happen. “That decision led me to Haiti. [See story on Page 14.] It led me to CAP [Campus Activities and Programs, where he’s now director of education], to participation with the Office of Student Involvement, the communication honor society, and other organizations.
“I think some students find it easier to pass on the work to someone else.” Any observations on student activism? “As a group, we students might seem more apathetic now than 30 or 40 years ago, but then, the issues were more in your face. Now the issues are there, but we want to bypass the politicians and talk about it online instead rather than publicly organizing.”
Any big project you’d like to share? “Yes, something I’m working on in CAP. As part of freshman orientation, we want to run a short seminar on the brand we give ourselves through social media. Many students still don’t realize that when they post pictures and comments, they’re creating a brand their prospective employers can see.”
What’s the Andrew brand? “I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some of the right people, but that comes from being involved. Students who are involved traditionally do better in school, have a better retention rate. You meet people with similar interests, enhance your life, make friends. “I don’t meet many people after their graduation who say, “I wish I would have gotten that done quicker.’ They say, “I wish I had given myself the opportunity to enjoy my college years more.”
What were you doing at 19? “Not all this! I was undriven, a lot less organized, happier with a lot less. And now I want more.”
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Tiffany Fulford (Judith Herb College of Education) but usually I just talk with them, let them know I’m on their side. I’m always there for them, so if I have to call them out on some inappropriate behavior, it’s coming from a good place. They understand, so they respect me.”
You’re from Chicago. What led you to UT? “I came to UT on an academic scholarship. When I visited, I fell in love with the school. Everyone working as tour guides was so helpful; I’ve made that my own model now that I’ve become a UT student ambassador.” You’re involved in many activities, right? “I am a student ambassador for my college. At student experience days, I work with students and parents to show them why UT is their best choice. I’m also a resident adviser at Carter Hall West. “I help develop a real community in a diverse hall, encourage our students to embrace the diversity. There’s some pushback because I am new,
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You seem like a fairly quiet person for such a frontlines job. “I’m very laid-back, and quiet at times. So what I do has a purpose behind it, with thought going into it. Do you have to be a Type-A person to get involved in activities? “People are looking for a diverse population. The hall director who hired me said he appreciated my quiet side and my analytical side. So I wouldn’t discourage anyone from getting involved, because it’s a learning experience. There’s always a need for your quiet side. “I’m also the public relations director for Black Student Union [BSU]. That’s definitely been a good experience. It let me reach out to other students. If you get involved in the right programs, you’ll definitely find people sharing your mindset. They’ll help you, guide you, be your friends.
Since I’m not from Ohio, meeting people going in the same direction I am has been my biggest challenge.” What is your direction? “I’m in my second year now. I had planned to be a high school administrator, but when I became a resident adviser I realized I wanted to stay in a college setting. Now I’ve decided to go to grad school for higher education administration. I like Toledo’s program, so I hope to continue my career plans here. I’ve always been inspired by how diverse UT’s administration is, how much they support multicultural students. “To me, college is what you make of it and who’s there to support you — I want to be part of that, be a person who supports students, shows them that college can be amazing.”
Feature Story
See-worthy learning – By Zachary Reaver,
UT’s first Semester at Sea Participant
I call it a voyage of discovery. You might call it sleeping in riverboat hammocks in the Amazon Rainforest, or volunteering at a school in Ghana, or scaling Table Mountain and diving with great white sharks, and being on safari in South Africa, or exploring the Taj Mahal in India, crawling through wartime tunnels in Vietnam, hiking the Great Wall of China, being moved by remnants of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, or even seeing an active volcano in Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park. It all happened to me on one journey of a lifetime called Semester at Sea (SAS), a global comparative study abroad program that I was able to enjoy as a student at The University of Toledo. And believe it or not, sightseeing was just the tip of the iceberg! I also had vigorous course work, taking Cognitive Psychology, Biomedical Applications of Genetic Engineering, Languages of the World, and Global Studies. I interacted with people of all races, religions, ethnicities and socioeconomic status. I played soccer with children in a poor village in the Amazon, visited an HIV clinic in South Africa, helped at a school for the deaf in Vietnam, and saw incredible wealth and technological advancement in Singapore and Japan.
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Run by the non-profit Institute for Shipboard Education and academically sponsored by the University of Virginia, Semester at Sea is a life-changing program available to UT students. You take college courses onboard the MV Explorer, an ISO Green Certified cruise ship that’s also one of the world’s fastest passenger ships. Classes aside, you’ll still have time to explore countries on several continents, on your own or through organized field programs. On my voyage, I traveled from the Bahamas to Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and mainland China, Japan and Hawaii. The cost for such a semester starts at around $25,000, but there are many scholarship opportunities to help offset the cost. I was fortunate enough to be one of eight students awarded a Presidential Scholarship that covered tuition, room and board. As part of the scholarship, I carried out an action plan I had devised to observe and analyze sustainability in all the ports we visited. Before my May graduation from UT, I served as a global ambassador for Semester at Sea, promoting the program
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at The University of Toledo. While I was the first person from UT to go on Semester at Sea, other students have now made the voyage. I know that Semester at Sea will remain one of the highlights of my entire life, opening my mind and heart to the world and giving me an insatiable wanderlust. As I try to figure out life after graduation, I’ll remain ever grateful for the experiences I have had, and I am excited to begin writing the next chapters of my life.
Are you interested in learning more about Semester at Sea and embarking on your own voyage of discovery? Semester at Sea is open to undergraduates of all levels and earned credit hours can be transferred back to UT. You can contact Zachary Reaver directly at Zachary. reaver@rockets.utoledo.edu or visit semesteratsea.org for more information.
Students: at the heart of everything we do! Student Appreciation Day is an annual Thank You to all our students, sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for the Student Experience and featuring all the fun you can cram into Centennial Mall. More pix on Page 2!
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