Dr. Julie Fischer-Kinney, assistant provost for student success and retention in the Office of the Provost, is the 2019 recipient of the Diane Hymore Exemplar of Excellence Award.

She received the honor named for the longtime executive secretary May 6 at the Outstanding Staff Awards in the Thomas and Elizabeth Brady Engineering Innovation Center.

The award is presented annually to an individual whose work defines the core values of the University in Hymore’s spirit of support, encouragement and service.

“In the two decades Dr. Fischer-Kinney has dedicated to the University, her decisions have always been shaped with the student in mind,” a nominator wrote. “She constantly seeks student feedback on various issues in order to ensure the best outcome for the student. This allows her to stay grounded and make sure decisions are best for the current generation of students.”

Fischer-Kinney has worked at the University 21 years, starting as an academic program coordinator in the Chemical Engineering Department. She also has served as director of student services in the College of Nursing; director of New Student Orientation Programs; associate dean and interim dean of YouCollege; and director of success coaching.

“Dr. Fischer-Kinney is an outstanding supervisor, mentor and student advocate,” a nominator wrote. “She tirelessly champions efforts that impact student success and retention. Additionally, she has transformed the success coaching initiative from a raw idea into a powerful movement that is truly impacting student lives.”

Another noted that in addition to her many responsibilities, Fischer-Kinney always takes the time to serve as a success coach for students each semester.

“Many students struggle to find their ambition, but Dr. Fischer-Kinney helps instill motivation to allow the student to discover their full academic potential,” a nominator wrote. “Regardless of how busy her schedule may be, Dr. Fischer-Kinney always makes time to be there for the student. They value her as an advocate who will help them reflect on their college and life goals, and connect them to the resources and tools. Dr. JFK, as students call her, always carves out time to focus on the individual at hand.

“Success coaching and retention work can be challenging. Every day coaches hear a variety of student concerns or chase after students with assorted academic, financial and personal issues bubbling up. Dr. JFK is committed to an open, candid and warm environment where we can embrace a team approach, lean on each other as needed, and grow from each other.”

Fischer-Kinney received a bachelor’s degree in business administration majoring in marketing, and master of education and doctoral degrees in higher education from the University.

Dr. Dale Dwyer, professor of business management, has published a new book, “Managing in a 21st Century Organization.”

The 11 chapters dive into the most important roles that managers play: architect, visionary, leader, change agent, decision-maker, motivator, evaluator and coach.

“This book teaches the most important lessons that all leaders and managers will need to help run their businesses and organizations,” Dwyer said.

Written for the novice manager or first-line supervisor who has assumed new responsibilities, the book helps identify and solve problems, make decisions, encourage employees to do their best work, and implement changes that face resistance from those affected by them.

“I don’t find traditional management textbooks very helpful for actually being a manager or leader,” Dwyer said. “In other words, students usually have to spend upwards of $100 on books that cover theories of management or the history of management, but never get the practical point of how to become an effective manager.”

He added, “I wrote this book because I think it will be helpful right away and continue to be helpful as leaders and managers progress upward in their respective organizations and disciplines.”

Dwyer focuses on five different lessons that all managers need to know to be successful:

• Why improving your ability to understand and manage emotions and needs is key to gaining trust from co-workers, bosses and direct reports.

• How developing both leadership competence and charisma is often a challenge for managers.

• Which of three different approaches for understanding and managing your organization you should employ and when to use them.

• Why recognizing your own biases can improve decision making.

• The crucial differences between employee training and employee development, as well as when to use them most effectively.

Dwyer joined the UToledo faculty in 1989 and is a former chair of the Department of Management in the College of Business and Innovation. He received one of the University’s Outstanding Teacher Awards, as well as the first UToledo Student Impact Award.

His other books include “Got a Minute? The 9 Lessons Every HR Professional Must Learn” (2010), as well as “Got A Solution? HR Approaches to 5 Common and Persistent Business Problems” (2014), both with co-author Dr. Sheri A. Caldwell, HR director in the Grain Group at The Andersons. Dwyer also wrote “Needy People: Working Successfully with Control Freaks and Approval-holics” (2017).

“Managing in a 21st Century Organization” can be purchased on the Kendall Hunt Publishing Co. website and on amazon.com.

Four students who formed C-See Tech took the $10,000 prize in the ninth annual UToledo College of Business and Innovation’s Business Innovation Competition.

Kizito Kosi Akunna, Shayla Glynn, Alex Gibson and Deric Anthony — all fifth-year seniors majoring in bioengineering — developed the C-arm projection aid system. The attachment for new and existing C-arm X-ray devices aims to greatly reduce the amount of pre- and postoperative medical imaging by projecting the X-ray image onto the patient’s skin.

“This device will cut down the number of X-rays needed during a surgical procedure,” Gibson said. “Essentially, this would aid a surgeon during a procedure, which would originally require multiple X-rays, to make appropriate markings on the skin before the first incision.”

The team developed a proprietary algorithm that filters the digital output noise of the C-arm image in order to project a clear, accurate image of the patient’s skeletal system onto his or her skin by using a downward facing vertical laser projector.

“It means a lot to all of us, especially to see an idea originally only meant for a college course become so successful,” Gibson said. “Not only is it a great honor to win the competition, but this means that our invention may someday be a reality.”

The team expressed gratitude to Dr. Halim Ayan, associate professor of bioengineering, as well as the Department of Engineering: “Without their support, we would not have gotten this far,” Gibson said.

“Obtaining a patent is our next step, as well as testing to hone in exactly what we want the final product to be. This is where our prize money will likely be going,” Gibson said.

The winners of the competition were announced April 19 in the Savage & Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement in the College of Business and Innovation.

Out of the 19 entries, six semifinalists were selected for an oral presentation in front of the judges.

“We congratulate all entrants for the exceptionally high-quality proposals they submitted. These technologically innovative ideas exhibit creative and analytical thinking within the University campus,” Dr. Sonny Ariss, professor and chair of management, said.

“We believe the wisely comprehended business ideas that won this year’s competition form a concrete foundation on which these entrepreneurs can build successful businesses. Our goal is to help increase the number and scale up businesses in Ohio,” Ariss said.

Finishing in second place and winning $5,000 was Forefront Prosthetics by Devin Toelke, Taryn Carmody, Emily Merris, Luke Schimmoeller and Derek Sutter. Forefront Prosthetics is focusing on creating an affordable, high-quality upper-limb prosthetic.

CLLK placed third and won $2,000. Founded in 2018 by Lauren Bakaitis, Clare Byrne, Katie Gilson and Leah Walchanowicz, CLLK offers an innovative solution to cast discomfort by providing mobile cold therapy, which will reduce swelling, skin inflammation and soreness.

“The College of Business and Innovation stands ready to offer guidance to help these teams emerge beyond the University into the community,” Ariss said. “We want to see these ideas and business plans successfully implemented, generating jobs, and enhancing the economic growth of the region.”

The Business Innovation Competition was open to all UToledo faculty, staff and students. The first-place $10,000 prize is sponsored by Owens Illinois Inc.; the second-place $5,000 prize is sponsored by C. William and Paula Fall Business Plan Award Fund; and the third-place $2,000 prize is sponsored by PNC Bank.

A team of UToledo students in the College of Business and Innovation nearly completed a sweep at the Computer Information Systems Project and Case Competition last month at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

Rebecca Church, Jillian Jennings, John Lee, Ryan Kile and Josh Teachey — all information systems majors — took first place in the case and overall categories, and came in second in the project category.

“Students spent the past 14 weeks preparing for the event at Ball State,” said Teresa Keefe, Distinguished University Lecturer in Information, Operations and Technology Management. “They worked on a real-world IT project for our own University Libraries to deliver an IT solution around records management.”

The team presented its project to judges April 13. In addition, the team was asked to analyze a business case and present its findings and recommendations to a panel of industry judges.

“The event challenges the students in so many ways. First, they do real work for a real problem,” Keefe said. “Next, they deliver a polished presentation in a high-stake setting — and are asked to defend elements of the design and/or implementation.”

This is the best a UToledo team has done in the eight years of this competition. Keefe and Dr. Steve Wallace, assistant professor in the Department of Information, Operations and Technology Management, are proud of the students’ performance.

“The level of success achieved by this team only comes with an incredible amount of dedication, determination and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” Keefe said.

The stress of finding a full-time job in their desired field is over for Octavio Vazquez-Ederra and Emily Antypas.

The University of Toledo seniors will walk across the commencement stage and into business careers.

The secret to their success? Internships.

“I did three internships with The Andersons in Maumee and that led to a job offer in its ethanol accounting group,” said Antypas, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and marketing. “I am excited to start working full time after commencement.”

While taking classes, Antypas, who is from Lambertville, Mich., was active in the accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi and worked in the UToledo College of Business and Innovation’s Office of Student Services.

“The UToledo College of Business and Innovation fueled my success in many ways,” Antypas said. “I took advantage of job fairs, resumé critiques, interview practice and advisors who helped me stay on track.”

“My four years here were so memorable and successful because of friends, professors and meaningful classes,” she said. “I loved every moment.”

Vazquez-Ederra is moving to Dallas next month for a full-time job in the sales development program at Owens Corning, which makes insulation, roofing shingles and composite building materials. The opportunity stems from his internship that already turned into a part-time job at the company’s world headquarters in Toledo.

“With Owens Corning, I have been pioneering Spanish trainings in order to target the Hispanic contractor network where nine out of 10 roof installers south of the Mason-Dixon line speak Spanish,” said Vazquez-Ederra, who is graduating with a degree in international business and professional sales. “I wrote my honors thesis on the consultative selling method as it applies to Hispanic populations in order to create a tailored approach to our changing market demographics.”

Vazquez-Ederra, who was born in Argentina and moved to the United States at the age of 4 with his family, competed in national sales competitions both at UToledo and in Atlanta. He credits the people at UToledo for making a difference in his life.

“No question was out of line for professors, advisors and staff,” Vazquez-Ederra said. “They were flexible and guided me on the right path.”

“I have already found an apartment down in Texas,” Vazquez-Ederra said. “I’m excited to start this next chapter, but will always be grateful to the faculty and staff of The University of Toledo, who feel like family.”

Both Vazquez-Ederra and Antypas also are students in the Jesup Scott Honors College.

Last year, 90 percent of graduating seniors had jobs lined up upon graduation in the College of Business and Innovation. Eighty-five percent of all undergraduate business students complete internships.

“Success breeds success,” Dr. Anne Balazs, dean of the UToledo College of Business and Innovation, said. “We are proud of the determination and focus of our students as they learn hands-on in the field that interests them while working toward a degree. Business internships provide exposure to accomplished leaders, build confidence and — as we’ve seen over and over again — lead to full-time positions.”

Katie Holmes, a native Toledoan who rose to fame as an actor, producer and director, will return to her hometown to deliver the keynote address during The University of Toledo’s undergraduate commencement ceremony Saturday, May 4.

A Notre Dame Academy alumna and international icon of screen, stage and film, Holmes will address 2,078 candidates for degrees — 2,023 bachelor’s and 55 associate’s candidates. The event will take place at 10 a.m. in the Glass Bowl.

The University’s graduate commencement ceremony is scheduled the same day at 3 p.m. in the Glass Bowl, and will commemorate 915 candidates for doctoral, education specialist and master’s degrees, as well as graduate certificates. Analese Alvarez, an educator and musician who has recorded with the Grammy Award-winning rock group Fleetwood Mac, will be the keynote speaker. She is a candidate for a doctoral degree.

Both ceremonies are open to the public and can be viewed live on the University Views website.

President Sharon L. Gaber will present Holmes with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree before the keynote address.

“The University of Toledo is pleased to welcome Katie Holmes as our commencement speaker to inspire our newest alumni as they celebrate receiving their degrees,” Gaber said. “As a Toledo native with close, personal connections to the University, we are eager for her to share her experiences and accomplishments in the entertainment industry and as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.”

Holmes is an internationally recognized film and television actor, producer and director, as well as a Broadway actor and an entrepreneur.

An exceptional student at Notre Dame Academy, Holmes was accepted to Columbia University, but deferred to embark on an entertainment career. She made her feature film debut in “The Ice Storm” in 1997, then established herself as a rising young actor the next year in the television show “Dawson’s Creek.” For six years, she played Joey Potter, a character still recognized in pop culture.

Holmes has appeared in supporting or starring roles in more than 30 films and television programs, including acclaimed performances as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in “The Kennedys” and “The Kennedys: After Camelot,” Hannah Green in “Wonder Boys,” Rachel Dawson in “Batman Begins,” April Burns in “Pieces of April,” Rita Carmichael in “All We Had,” and Paige Finney in “Ray Donovan.”

Her credits as a director and producer include “All We Had,” “Touched With Fire,” “The Romantics” and “The Kennedys: Decline and Fall.”

Holmes made her Broadway debut in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” in 2008 and played the role of Lorna in “Dead Accounts” in 2012.

As an entrepreneur, Holmes managed and designed a well-received fashion line, Holmes & Yang, with Jeanne Yang, from 2009 to 2014.

Her philanthropic efforts include the Dizzy Feet Foundation, an organization Holmes co-founded in 2009 that increases access to dance education in the United States. She also supports the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes; Love Our Children USA, a national nonprofit organization that fights violence and neglect against U.S. children; Raising Malawi, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to helping vulnerable children in extreme poverty through health, education and community support; and the Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation.

Graduate ceremony speaker Alvarez has been an educator for nearly two decades and is a candidate for an education doctorate in educational administration and supervision.

The Santa Barbara, Calif., native has enjoyed an outstanding career teaching high school music, highlighted by leading her previous school’s music department to become a Grammy Signature Schools recipient in 2015. She has continued teaching music while pursuing her doctorate at UToledo by serving as a graduate assistant for the Rocket Marching Band and athletic bands since 2015.

Alvarez”s long career as a musician includes recording with Fleetwood Mac on “The Dance” and appearances on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” and Nickelodeon’s “The Big Help.” She also was a member of the Los Angeles Laker Band, a subset of the University of Southern California’s Trojan Marching Band. She has performed with numerous professional ensembles, including The Desert Winds and the Gold Coast Wind Ensemble.

A volunteer club advisor for Gay Straight Alliances, Alvarez co-chaired the Southern Nevada chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network and served the Gay and Lesbian Center of Las Vegas. During the past year, she has been executive director at Equality Toledo, where she has worked to support the local community.

Alvarez earned a bachelor of music degree from the University of Southern California and a master of music degree from Northern Arizona University, both in music education.

UToledo’s spring commencement ceremonies will recognize graduates from the colleges of Arts and Letters; Business and Innovation; Judith Herb College of Education; Engineering; Graduate Studies; Health and Human Services; Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Nursing; Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; and University College.

UToledo’s College of Law will host its commencement ceremony Sunday, May 5, at 1 p.m. in the Thompson Student Union Auditorium. Angelita Cruz Bridges, a 2000 graduate of the College of Law who serves as an assistant United States attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, will give the commencement address.

The next week — Friday, May 10, at 4 p.m. — the College of Medicine and Life Sciences will hold its commencement ceremony in Savage Arena. Dr. Scott Parazynski, a physician and inventor whose career included serving 17 years as an astronaut, during which time he flew five space shuttle missions and conducted seven spacewalks, will be theutoledo.edu/commencementrmation, visit the commencement website.

The University of Toledo Board of Trustees approved during its April meeting tenure for 12 faculty members and promotion of another 31 associate professors and professors.

“We continue to have high-caliber faculty advancing through our tenure and promotion process, and this year’s cohort of faculty members all have very impressive achievements,” said Dr. Karen Bjorkman, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

The provost also noted the goal in the strategic plan to increase the percentage of professors among the total number of full-time faculty. There were 22 who became fully promoted to professor with the board’s recent action.

Faculty members who received tenure and promotion to associate professor are:

College of Business and Innovation

• Dr. Xinghao Yan, Information, Operations and Technology Management

• Dr. Marcelo Alvarado-Vargas, Management

College of Engineering

• Dr. Carmen Cioc, Engineering Technology

• Dr. Luis Mata, Engineering Technology

College of Health and Human Services

• Dr. Kimberly McBride, School of Population Health

• Dr. Shipra Singh, School of Population Health

• Dr. Heather Sloane, School of Social Justice

College of Medicine and Life Sciences

• Dr. Nezam Altorok, Medicine

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Dr. Trieu Le, Mathematics and Statistics

College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Dr. Isaac Schiefer, Medicinal and Biological Chemistry

• Dr. F. Scott Hall, Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

• Dr. Amit Tiwari, Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Faculty members promoted to professor are:

College of Arts and Letters

• Dr. Melissa Gregory, English Language and Literature

• Dr. Bhuiyan Alam, Geography and Planning

• Dr. Charles Beatty, History

• Dr. Lee Heritage, Music

• Dr. Ovamir Anjum, Philosophy and Religious Studies

• Dr. Patricia Case, Sociology and Anthropology

• Dr. Willie McKether, Sociology and Anthropology

College of Business and Innovation

• Dr. Iryna Pentina, Marketing

College of Engineering

• Dr. Yakov Lapitsky, Chemical Engineering

• Dr. Hong Wang, Engineering Technology

• Dr. Matthew Franchetti, Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

College of Health and Human Services

• Dr. Wendy Cochrane, School of Intervention and Wellness

• Dr. Jiunn-Jye Sheu, School of Population Health

• Dr. Kasey Tucker-Gail, School of Social Justice

College of Law

• Bryan Lammon

College of Medicine and Life Sciences

• Dr. Cletus Iwuagwu, Medicine

• Dr. Ruby Nucklos, Medicine

• Dr. Tanvir Singh, Psychiatry

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Dr. John Gray, Biological Sciences

• Dr. Dragan Isailovic, Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Dr. Alessandro Arsie, Mathematics and Statistics

College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Dr. Zahoor Shah, Medicinal and Biological Chemistry

Faculty members promoted to associate professor are:

College of Medicine and Life Sciences

• Dr. Sarah Gerken, Anesthesiology

• Dr. Anu Garg, Medicine

• Dr. Dani Zoorob, Obstetrics and Gynecology

• Dr. Jiayong Liu, Orthopaedic Surgery

• Dr. Waseem Ostwani, Pediatrics

• Dr. Eileen Quinn, Pediatrics

• Dr. Richard Baron, Psychiatry

• Dr. Kimberly Hunter, Psychiatry

• Dr. Jason Schroeder, Surgery

The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation and the Business Engagement and Leadership Council will hold its 56th annual Pacemaker Awards Friday, April 12, at the Inverness Club.

Ramon E. Gonzalez III will receive the 2019 Business Pacemaker Award at the ceremony, which will start at 7 p.m.

He received a bachelor of business administration degree from the University in 1961. Gonzalez split his career between serving as a foreign service officer at the U.S. State Department, as assistant vice president at Merrill Lynch, and as chief financial officer of Lone Star Seed Co. in San Antonio. He is now retired.

Gonzalez served in the military and is a retired captain of the United States Army Reserve. He also is a past member of the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives, and a member emeritus and past secretary of the Explorers Club, Washington Group.

The University alumnus is a strong supporter of the College of Business and Innovation’s Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales. Gonzalez and his family regularly visit the University every fall.

“The Pacemaker Award is the College of Business and Innovation’s highest honor, recognizing individuals for outstanding achievement in business, as well as contributions to the community and the University,” said. Dr. Anne L. Balazs, dean of the College of Business and Innovation. “We also are proud to recognize our business students at this prestigious annual event.”

Student Pacemaker Awards are presented to College of Business and Innovation graduate and undergraduate students for their outstanding academic achievement, University and community service, and leadership.

The 2019 Student Pacemaker Award recipients are:

• Master of Business Administration — Himabindu Katrapati;

• Master of Science in Accountancy — Constance Baumgartner;

• Accounting — Rachael Noe and Hannah Smith;

• Applied Organizational Management — Gregory Matuszynski II;

• Finance — Landon Bleau and Spencer Shoemaker;

• Information Operations Technology Management — Cassidy Hamill and Scott Pribe;

• Management — Laurie Britt and Quinne Meyer;

• Marketing and International Business — Olivia Wright and Jovan Sanson; and

• Dean’s Award — Abigail Brannan.

The Rocket Disc Golf club will travel to Appling, Ga., to compete in the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships Wednesday, March 27.

Club members will leave Tuesday, March 26, to arrive in time for the event, which will take place at the International Disc Golf Center. UToledo is one of 34 universities from across the country that will hit the course.

Rocket Disc Golf qualified for nationals with a second-place finish at the Great Lakes Collegiate Open earlier this month at Deerfield Nature Park in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

“Thankfully, Chris Wojciechowski, Rocket Disc Golf No. 1 player, shot the hot round of the day to secure a berth for us,” said Aaron Chelchowski, president and founder of the club. “Our team is getting ready, and we are excited to show the rest of the schools that are going to nationals that we are to be taken seriously.”

The team consists of Chelchowski, a senior majoring in sales and marketing; Wojciechowski, a Ph.D. student in measurement; Ryan Rau, a senior majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in education and leadership; and Alex Phillips, a senior majoring in professional sales.

“It has been a whirlwind starting this club in time to compete this year,” Rau said. “An absolute round of applause to Aaron Chelchowski for all the hard work and hours of time he has put into this. He has truly been the thrusters that have propelled this rocket of a club.”

After qualifying for nationals, the club had to figure out how to make the trip happen. Rau and Chelchowski went into fundraising overdrive and received more than $1,000 in less than one week via GoFundMe. Donations came in from UToledo alumi, family, and disc golfers from collegiate programs around the country.

“This club raised more than $2,000 in funding through shirt sales and disc sales through a partnership with Discraft Discs, the world leader in disc sports, before ever getting to the first budget allocation meeting,” Wojciechowski said. “The club has staying power and will be a part of the fabric of the University for years to come.”

Students who want to get involved with the Rocket Disc Golf club can email Chelchowski at aaron.chelchowski@rockets.utoledo.edu or rocketdiscgolf@utoledo.edu.

Dr. Paul Hong in The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation will give a Distinguished University Professor Lecture Wednesday, March 27.

The Distinguished University Professor of Information, Operations and Technology Management will discuss “Rising Asia and American Hegemony: Practices of Innovator Firms From Four Leading Nations” at 4 p.m. in the Thompson Student Union Ingman Room.

Hong will focus on the rise of Asia in terms of leveraging its economic, political and demographic strengths, while also talking about how he expects American leadership to continue based on its innovative resilience and diversity.

“The global market environment has always experienced turbulence through shifting of economic power among nations and geographic regions,” Hong said. “Today, the level of global economic turbulence is increasing exponentially as companies and their home countries seek to advantageously position themselves to become dominant actors on the world economic stage.”

Hong was named a Distinguished University Professor in 2018. He is an internationally recognized researcher in network capabilities, global supply chain management, international comparative studies, and building growth engine industries for national competitiveness. His expertise is in the implementation of supply chain management practices to build firms for domestic advantage and global competitiveness.

Selected as a Fulbright Scholar in 2017, Hong has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and three books. He received one of the University’s Outstanding Researcher Awards in 2015.

He earned a Ph.D. in manufacturing management and engineering from The University of Toledo. He also holds master of business administration and master of arts degrees in economics from Bowling Green University.

A reception will follow the free lecture.