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Reminder: Deadline March 30 to Contribute to Day of Giving via Payroll Deduction
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The University of Toledo employees interested in supporting the fourth annual Day of Giving campaign through payroll deduction need to complete the form by the March 30 deadline.

The fundraising event to help create opportunities for hard-working students, advance breakthroughs for researchers, provide hope for our patients and support champions in UToledo athletic programs will return this year on April 7-8.

Early gifts count towards the Day of Giving campaign and faculty and staff can choose to make their contributions through payroll reduction by completing the give early online form available at give.utoledo.edu.

Any gift, in any amount, is appreciated. In recognition of faculty and staff support, those who participate will be eligible for a special gift at the conclusion of the campaign.
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Toledo Men’s Basketball Team to Play Richmond in NIT March 17
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The University of Toledo men’s basketball team has qualified for post-season play with its selection to the National Invitation Tournament. The Rockets (21-8) will travel to Denton, Texas to face the University of Richmond (13-8) in the University of North Texas Coliseum on Wednesday, March 17 at 7 p.m.

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

The Rockets are the No. 3 seed in their region, while the Spiders are the No. 2 seed. The winner of the Toledo-Richmond contest will face the winner of Saturday’s game pitting No. 1 seed Saint Louis (14-6) and No. 4 seed Mississippi State (15-14) on Thursday, March 25.

Toledo is making its 10th NIT appearance in school history with its last appearance coming in 2019.

The Rockets posted a 15-4 Mid-American Conference record this season for the most conference victories in school history. Toledo is also the only MAC school to win 13 or more league games in three of the last four seasons.
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Postel Appointed UToledo President
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Dr. Gregory Postel was named the 18th president of The University of Toledo during a special Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday.

The Board commended Postel for his tireless efforts since joining UToledo in the interim role last July. Board Chair Al Baker noted many of Postel’s accomplishments including successfully leading the safe reopening of campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of fall semester, UToledo has navigated the pandemic utilizing the Rocket Prevention Principles best practices, a proactive surveillance testing strategy and transparent communication. UToledo’s reported positivity rate has remained below the state’s reported positivity rate since tracking began in August.

In addition, Postel was recognized for the stabilization of hospital finances following a tumultuous year for The University of Toledo Medical Center exacerbated by the pandemic. Preliminary FY21 projections indicate a positive turnaround in revenue.

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Postel

The University’s growing research portfolio continues to grow with several recent multimillion dollar grants announced from the Department of Defense, NASA and NIH, to name just a few. The University’s year-to-date research funding numbers are on track based on last year’s goals.

Postel was actively involved in securing the institution’s second named college – the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation, which was announced in December. He has assisted with a number of other private gifts to support the University.

“We are extremely grateful for Dr. Postel’s leadership during this challenging transition and want to commend all members of our campus community who have stepped up to realize these accomplishments,” Baker said. “Looking ahead, we know that we must continue this momentum if we are to realize our potential as a national, public research university where students obtain a world-class education and become part of a diverse community of leaders committed to improving the human condition in the region and the world.”

Postel has identified eight key initiatives and appointed campus-wide working groups focused on creating a solid foundation upon which to build future growth. The Board applauded Postel for addressing challenges head-on and noted that stable leadership is critical as the University moves forward.

“Dr. Postel’s leadership has been instrumental in stabilizing the institution, but perhaps more importantly, he is actively preparing The University of Toledo for the upcoming Higher Learning Commission visit in November 2021,” Baker said. “After careful deliberation, including consultation with members of the University’s senior leadership team, deans and faculty senate representatives, the Board was honored to appoint Dr. Postel to this position.”

The board unanimously approved a resolution to continue his service to UToledo through June 2025.

“I am truly appreciative of and humbled by the vote of confidence from the Board of Trustees,” Postel said. “I have found The University of Toledo to be an outstanding institution committed to student success. I look forward to working collaboratively with the dedicated leaders across our campuses to continue our positive momentum and achieve UToledo’s full potential.”

Postel has more than 25 years of leadership experience with university operations, academic medical centers and clinical research, as well as university governance, teaching and research. Prior to joining UToledo, he served as the senior client partner representing healthcare services and higher education at Korn Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm.

In addition to an accomplished career as an academic interventional neuroradiologist, Postel served 18 years as chair of the Department of Radiology at the UofL School of Medicine and held the positions of vice dean for clinical affairs and chair of the board at University Medical Center in Louisville. He was the founding board chair and later CEO of University of Louisville Physicians. Postel served as interim president of UofL in 2017-18 and also spent four years as its executive vice president for health affairs.

A graduate of the College of Wooster and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Postel completed a residency in radiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and a fellowship in neuroradiology at the Mayo Clinic Foundation.

He and his wife, Sally, have twin sons, Alex and Chris.
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Strength Center Named for Rocket Fans
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An area in the Larimer Athletic Complex will be named for Rocket fans in recognition of their support of The University of Toledo’s athletic program.

The John J. Delp Strength and Conditioning Center will be named in honor of John J. Delp, the father of Cleves Delp who, with his wife, Kathleen, gave a $230,500 gift to Rocket Athletics to support capital improvements.

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Cleves Delp

Avid Rocket fans, the Delp family also has a planned gift of $5 million to support future athletic projects in the Glass Bowl.

“Cleves Delp is a generous philanthropist in our community and we appreciate his support for Rocket Football and Coach Jason Candle,” said UToledo Vice President and Athletic Director Mike O’Brien, who also serves as co-director of the Ready to Launch campaign.

“‘Strength rejoices in the challenge’ is representative of both the practical application of this facility and the more important life-changing work that takes place throughout the entire University of Toledo football program,” Delp said.

Cleves Delp is the chairman and CEO of TDC Companies, a multi-family office business with a mission of helping families be families — stronger, closer and wiser.
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Women & Philanthropy Offering up to $50,000 for 2021 Grant
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The deadline to apply for a grant from Women & Philanthropy at The University of Toledo is coming up on Monday, Feb. 15.

UToledo students, faculty and staff are eligible to apply for funding of up to $50,000. To be considered for a grant, follow the application guidelines and complete the grant application by the deadline are available on the Women & Philanthropy website.

$\"\"$ The Women & Philanthropy Grants Committee reviews and evaluates the applications and the general membership votes to determine the grant recipients. Grant amounts vary from year to year. The 2021 grant recipients are expected to be announced in May.

The inaugural grant, in the amount of $15,000, was awarded in 2008 to Carlson Library to commission a glass sculpture by the late artist, Thomas McGlaughlin. That sculpture titled “A University Woman” is on display in the library and has become the model for the Women & Philanthropy logo.

Since then, Women & Philanthropy has funded classrooms, an art gallery, a sensory-friendly medical examination room, the hospitality area in the William and Carol Koester Alumni Pavilion, computer-based educational computer displays in Ritter Planetarium and Lake Erie Center, a computer lab in the Catharine S. Eberly Center for Women, an active learning classroom, an interactive periodic table display, the Genetic Analysis Instrumentation Center, and the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Research Center, among others. A complete list of awards and award winners is available on the Women & Philanthropy website.

Since 2008, Women & Philanthropy has gifted nearly $600,000 in 21 grants to a wide array of programs and initiatives to The University of Toledo. Women & Philanthropy is able to give substantial gifts to the University by pooling its members’ resources and making monetary awards in the form of grants.
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College of Business Named for Investor Alumnus
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The University of Toledo is naming its College of Business and Innovation for one of the greatest mutual fund investors in modern history who got his start on the UToledo campus and generously gave back to his alma mater.

The newly named John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation honors John Neff and his family for their commitment to enhancing the educational experience and competitive advantage for UToledo students.

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The College of Business and Innovation is named for John and Lillian Neff in honor of their commitment to enhancing the educational experience and competitive advantage for UToledo students.

“The generosity of Mr. Neff and his family has made a tremendous impact on our College of Business and Innovation by supporting some of our most promising students and attracting top faculty experts to our campus to train the investors of the future,” said UToledo Interim President Gregory Postel. “We are proud to name the college in his honor and look forward to the impact that connecting his legacy more closely to our business programs will have on generations to come.”

Neff, who died June 4, 2019, at the age of 87, received his bachelor’s degree in industrial marketing in 1955 from UToledo, where he also met his wife Lillian. She preceded him in death in 2017.

“It’s with tremendous pride that we partner with The University of Toledo in celebrating the naming of the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation,” said Lisa Neff-Ryave, their daughter. “My Dad often spoke of his genuine love for The University of Toledo and the humble appreciation he held for the education he received while there. It was that base in finance that propelled him forward in his illustrious career with Vanguard’s Windsor.”

Neff had gone to Wall Street immediately after graduating from UToledo, but didn’t get the interest he had hoped for. He instead started his career at National City Bank in Cleveland and later was offered a position in Philadelphia as manager of the Wellington Management Co.’s Windsor mutual fund, where he earned a reputation for outperforming the stock market for the next 30 years.

Neff’s approach was looking for stocks that in his words were “overlooked, misunderstood, forgotten, out of favor” and he favored steady performers and aimed to pay a low multiple of annual earnings, as described in the obituary article published in the Wall Street Journal.

The naming of the College of Business and Innovation recognizes the alumnus’ success, as well as his generosity. The $18.7 million gift to UToledo encompasses John and Lillian Neff’s lifetime and estate giving, as well as a gift from their children, Lisa and Stephen, who wanted to participate in honoring their parents in such a meaningful way.

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Neff received his bachelor’s degree in industrial marketing from UToledo and went on to become one of the greatest mutual fund investors in modern history.

His previous donations to the College of Business and Innovation established the Neff Trading Room equipped with high-tech Bloomberg terminals, which students use to access real-time information from the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ and Chicago Board of Trade. The Neff family also established an endowed chair in the college and they have funded student scholarships and faculty teaching and research awards. The Department of Finance had already been named in Neff’s honor.

Neff also personally shared his experience and expertise with students, mentoring them on investment strategies and methodology. He was instrumental in the design of the Student Managed Portfolio course, in which UToledo students manage an account initially funded with $1 million from The University of Toledo Foundation. The course provides students hands-on money management experience to learn the business and science of investing.

“He relished those experiences, they were precious to him,” Neff-Ryave said. “UToledo was definitely his extended family and he was forever proud to be a Rocket. It is with tremendous pride that my brother Stephen and I join this effort in supporting our parent’s legacy by naming the Neff College of Business and Innovation.”

The UToledo Board of Trustees approved the naming of the college in Neff’s honor at its Dec. 14 meeting. A celebration event will be planned for a future date.

“We are proud to call this Wall Street giant a graduate of our University and our college and we are so appreciative of his generosity that has already impacted generations of students and will continue to elevate the educational experiences of business students for years to come,” said Dr. Anne Balazs, dean of the College of Business and Innovation.
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30 Years Later Rec Center Continues to ‘Make a Difference’
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Celebrating its 30th birthday this week, The University of Toledo’s Student Recreation Center is an almost indispensable part of student life.

But in the late 1980s, when TVs had turn dials and the internet was dial-up, university recreation centers were just becoming fixtures of campus life.

The idea of a multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art rec center on the UToledo campus faced some challenges, including raising student fees to fund it, said Jeff Cole, the student government president at the time, who helped push the student-led initiative through to completion.

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The University of Toledo’s Student Recreation Center begins to take shape during its construction phase on campus. The center officially opened on Oct. 15, 1990.

“There was definitely opposition and there was definitely support as well, but oftentimes the opposition is the stronger voice,” said Cole, Dana’s senior director of Corporate Communication, a UToledo graduate and emeritus member of UToledo Board of Trustees.

“We didn’t have the mechanisms to communicate with students that we do today. It was very much one-way communication and perhaps a misunderstanding that you don’t have today with social media and the feedback that comes with two-way communication.”

To help win over student support, Cole, along with then-Student Government Vice President Sue Adams, wrote an op-ed in The Collegian student newspaper explaining the advantages the rec center will bring to students, including a reference to the soon-to-be mandated change in the drinking age from 18 to 21, that “it will provide a place for students to socialize on the weekend.”

Their efforts — as well as those of others — worked.

Students approved the Rec Center as did the University’s Board of Trustees, which agreed not to raise student fees until the $17.25-million building opened.

“That really helped speed up the acceptance of the new facility,” Cole said.

Designed by St. Louis-based Hastings & Chivetta and Toledo’s Collaborative Inc., the 151,000-square-foot center would feature an Olympic-sized swimming pool and diving pools; an indoor track along with space for basketball and volleyball; racquetball courts, a weight room and locker facilities, and lounge space. It also would have an indoor waterslide, a novelty at the time for university recreational facilities.

“When it opened, it was a magnificent facility … and people were on board,” Cole said.

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Dylan Swicegood, a senior in the College of Engineering, does dumbbell shrugs at the Rec Center. Approximately 2,000 students use the facility daily.

More than a decade since her retirement as Senior Director of Recreation, Pat Besner warmly recalls those winter nights she visited the facility shortly after it opened and seeing the buzz of activity.

“All kinds of people were doing all kinds of things,” she said. “It made me feel good to know that we provided this venue and a legacy.”

In 1996 the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association recognized the Rec Center as one of its 13 “Outstanding Sports Facilities.”

Today approximately 2,000 students use the facility daily and more than 150 students work at the Rec Center, making it one of the largest student employers on campus, said Demond Pryor, director of the Office of Recreation Services.

Three decades later, the Rec Center is still an impressive campus asset, Pryor said, and work continues to improve and update the facility to meet the needs of today’s students.

Since Pryor’s UToledo arrival in 2014, he estimated that $10 million has been invested in the Rec Center. This includes new carpet, a more prominent UToledo blue-and-gold color scheme, updated fitness equipment, and rescheduling intramural activities from weekends to Mondays through Thursdays to better accommodate student schedules.

“Recreational centers are venues that help provide for the health and well-being of students, including their emotional and spiritual health, as sometimes their financial well-being,” Pryor said. “This is what we want students to have: A place to go where they can physically exercise with friends or can engage with other students.”

In celebration of the Student Recreation Center’s 30th birthday, an open house for students and alumni is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, with a formal presentation by Pryor at noon. The event will include light hors d’oeuvres and cupcakes. Face coverings are required, and all social distancing precautions will be taken.

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New Works Installed for UToledo Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
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A wayward woodsman stands by the University Parks Trail and Ottawa House. Silhouetted fowl fly east near the Ottawa River behind Carlson Library. And a fantastical box sits askew on the east side of the Health and Human Performance Building.

“And Then One Day…” by Charlie Brouwer, “Greater Than” by Pam Reithmeier and “Cubed” by Richard Morgan are three of eight new works installed for The University of Toledo’s 15th annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition.

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“And Then One Day…” by Charlie Brouwer is located by University Parks Trail and Ottawa House.

Brouwer’s medium of choice is black locust wood, which is available where he lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains. His work reflects human themes that are uplifting and universal.

“I like using wood because it is the most ordinary and common of all building materials, and it is friendly, warm and natural,” Brouwer said. “Since the materials and methods are so familiar, my sculptures are approachable and friendly.”

UToledo alumna Reithmeier loves the physical and mental challenges of working with steel, and she is inspired by nature.

“I love to see people interact with my sculptures,” said Reithmeier, who lives in Monclova, Ohio. “Whether it is a nod of the head, a smile, or having their picture taken with my pieces — it does not matter as long as there is a connection in some way between the sculpture and the viewer.”

Thanks to the President’s Commission on Campus Design and Environment, new sculptures are installed at the University each spring.

Ray Katz’s intricate aluminum piece titled “Blast 2” sits outside The University of Toledo Medical Center. Todd Kime’s fun and funky “Class of 87” is between Nitschke and Palmer halls. And Glenn Zweygardt’s bronze “Root Dancer” sprouts up northwest of Gillham Hall.

Painted blue and green steel burst from the hillside west of University Hall with Robert Garcia’s “Questions,” and Sam Soet’s carved wood work, “Ashes V,” can be found in the plaza behind Thompson Student Union by Carlson Library.

More than 30 artists submitted proposals to the Midwest Sculpture Initiative, and the President’s Commission on Campus Design and Environment reviewed the entries and selected works for this year’s exhibit.

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“Greater Than” by Pam Reithmeier sits behind Carlson Library by the Ottawa River.

“We love the opportunity to view sculptures by so many artists and select a few of these creative works” said Dr. Jonathan Bossenbroek, UToledo professor and chair of environmental sciences, who is chair of the President’s Commission on Campus Design and Environment. “The sculptures add to the beauty of our campuses.”

The University removed this summer a sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, that was part of the group of new art works installed on campus. The commission made the decision after a student brought forward concerns about Gandhi’s comments about Black Africans and women. A conversation was held Sept. 24 as part of the Dialogues on Diversity series about the role of art in society, the differences between art and monuments, and how to best recognize the achievements of fallible individuals.

Since the exhibition began, more than 140 sculptures have rotated through the display on UToledo campuses, and several have become part of the University’s collection courtesy of benefactors, colleges and departments.

To make a gift to support the exhibition, contact The University of Toledo Foundation at utfoundation@utoledo.edu or 419.530.7730.
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MAC Presidents Vote to Begin Football Season on Nov. 4
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The Mid-American Conference announced on Friday that its 2020 football season will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The league’s 12 schools will play a six-game schedule of league games that will culminate with the MAC Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, Dec. 18 or Saturday, Dec. 19.

The announcement followed a meeting of the MAC’s 12 presidents and Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher. A complete 2020 MAC Football schedule and other details with respect to the season will be announced at a later date, according to Steinbrecher.

“I am pleased to inform our student-athletes, coaches and fans, that the Mid-American Conference will resume the fall football season,” said Steinbrecher. “Our decisions, in August and again today, have been guided by an overriding concern for the well-being of the student-athletes, institutions and the community at large. Our medical advisory group, presidents, directors of athletics and others, have worked hard to develop a plan that provides the opportunity for student-athletes to compete. We will be diligent in monitoring the dynamic health environment across the conference footprint and the country.”

$\"Graphic$ The conference will implement a COVID-19 testing program requiring four antigen tests per week with all positive tests needing confirmation with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Any student-athlete with a positive test will enter a cardiac screening protocol.

The MAC’s approved COVID-19 testing protocols, including four tests per week, will begin Monday, Oct. 5. The complete set of protocols will be released next week.

One of the primary changes that led to reconsideration was the availability of tests and timeliness of receiving test results across the conference, in addition to the changes and improvements of testing protocols. The MAC is establishing criteria relative to contest interruptions/cancelations, monitoring and reporting of test results as well as other COVID-19 regulations consistent with the NCAA resocialization guidelines. All football return to play is subject to national, state and local health guidelines.

“We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made with our Rocket Restart plan,” said UToledo Interim President Gregory Postel. “The health and safety of our entire campus community remain a top priority, and we believe we now have the appropriate precautionary measures in place to safely resume football.”

“We are very excited that our football program will be playing a fall schedule of games,” said UToledo Vice President and Athletic Director Mike O’Brien. “We are looking forward to the season with the expectation that we will be providing the safest possible environment in which our student-athletes will compete.”

No general public attendance or tailgating will be allowed at MAC football games. The participation of marching band, dance, cheer and spirit squads at football games will be guided by conference protocols at institutional discretion consistent with public health guidance.

All other fall sports, such as women’s volleyball, soccer and cross country, will be played next spring. Schedules for those sports will be announced at a later date.

For more information, please visit the UToledo Athletics website at utrockets.com or call 419.530.GOLD (4653).
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Women & Philanthropy Awards Grant for Art Studio
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Women & Philanthropy, a volunteer organization that promotes The University of Toledo through grants to UToledo, has given its 2020 grant in the amount of $65,000 to Barbara Miner, professor and chair of the Art Department.

The grant will assist in the creation of the University’s Axon Lab/Studio, which will be the first dedicated digital design and fabrication studio on campus.

$\"\"$ The new lab/studio space will build on collaborations across multiple academic disciplines and colleges, and will provide new opportunities for collaboration in STEMM fields and in new curricula development, according to Miner. It will serve as an innovative learning hub where technology, creativity and interdisciplinary practices converge, as students are provided with resources that meet the newest industry standards in relation to software and hardware, and community partnerships are enhanced with new tools and resources.

“The creation of this lab space is pivotal to bringing together traditional skills and contemporary practices in order to prepare our students for the meteoric pace of job/life changes globally. We are so very grateful for this support from Women & Philanthropy,” Miner said.

With this grant, Women & Philanthropy has given a total of 21 grants totaling $623,687 to The University of Toledo over the past 10 years.

“Our mission is to support the University while building relationships among a community of generous, forward-thinking women,” Dee Talmage, chair of Women & Philanthropy, said. “Through this grant, we are excited to provide students with state-of-the art technologies as they prepare for contemporary careers or admission to graduate studies.”

Women & Philanthropy at The University of Toledo was chartered in 2006 and made its first award to UToledo in 2008. Through this giving circle, members of diverse backgrounds and interests work collaboratively to make positive, meaningful and immediate impacts at the University.

Applications and guidelines for 2021 grants will be available in late fall.

For more information, go to the Women & Philanthropy website.
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