Surging 43 spots in one year, The University of Toledo has been recognized again as a top school for supporting student veterans.

The Military Times awarded UToledo the Best for Vets 2020 designation, ranking UToledo No. 80 out of 134 four-year institutions. The University was ranked 123 out of 208 in 2019.

“The University of Toledo Military Service Center is honored to help our service men and women succeed, and the Military Times’ Best for Vets designation recognizes our steadfast commitment,” said Eric Buetikofer, UToledo director of military and veteran affairs. “We have worked hard over the last year in adding new programming that, we feel, has improved our students’ sense of connection to the University and UToledo community.”

For 10 years, Military Times has conducted an extensive, editorially independent, objective study evaluating the many factors that help make colleges and universities a good fit for service members, military veterans and their families.

“The University has made great strides over the last year to improve our ability to track military-connected students, which has allowed us to communicate more effectively with our student population and work with them as they progress toward graduation and beyond,” Buetikofer said. “This increase in rankings is a reflection of the team effort led by University College, including the Military Service Center staff and student workers.”

The rankings are based on the results of Military Times’ annual survey — a school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement — as well as a detailed review of public data collected by federal agencies.

Military Times’ annual survey asks colleges and universities to disclose academic outcome and input data; describe many aspects of veteran culture on campus; and document a wide array of services, policies, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties. Military Times also factors in data from the Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, as well as three Education Department sources: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Center, College Scorecard data and the Cohort Default Rate Database.

See the 2020 Best for Vets list on Military Times’ website.

The Toledo women’s basketball program’s schedule includes a game at 2019 NCAA Championship finalist Notre Dame. The Rockets will play against the perennial power Fighting Irish Nov. 20 in South Bend, Ind.

The Midnight Blue and Gold will tangle with 2018 NCAA Champion Notre Dame (35-4, 14-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) for the fourth time in the last five years. A season ago, the Rockets drew 6,059 fans for their home matchup against UND, the third largest crowd in school history.

“To reach your potential as a team, you have to challenge yourself against the best,” said Head Coach Tricia Cullop, who ranks sixth in league history in overall winning percentage (241-123, .662) and 10th in conference winning percentage (127-61, .676). “Playing Notre Dame has made us better. When you play a team of their caliber, you have to bring a sustained and focused effort.”

Additional highlights for Toledo’s non-league slate are five games against squads that competed in the 2019 postseason.

Toledo will square off against Big Dance participant Belmont (26-7, 16-2 Ohio Valley), Postseason WNIT foe Dayton (17-14, 10-6 Atlantic 10) and Postseason Women’s Basketball Invitational squad Georgia State (17-14, 11-7 Sun Belt) prior to beginning league play. Two of the three aforementioned matchups will take place at the friendly confines of Savage Arena, as the Rockets host the Flyers Nov. 9 and the Bruins Dec. 3.

“Our goal every season is to play in the postseason,” Cullop said. “These five games will give us a chance to improve before MAC play and earn an opportunity to play in postseason.”

Toledo has been outstanding at home under Cullop, compiling a stout 137-40 (.774) ledger. The Rockets have won at least 11 home contests in nine of 11 seasons, including a school-record 19 victories during the 2010-11 campaign.

“We are so grateful for the amazing atmosphere our fans provide in Savage Arena,” Cullop said. “We’ve been top 30 in the country in attendance seven out of the last eight years.”

Toledo also will battle Postseason WNIT participants Troy (22-9, 13-5 Sun Belt) and Pacific (19-13, 10-8 West Coast) as part of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic Dec. 19-20 at the South Point Hotel & Casino. The Rockets, who will compete against both the Trojans and Tigers for the first time in program history, will venture to Sin City for the first time since the 1995-96 season.

“We’re excited to travel to Las Vegas to play two strong mid-major programs in Troy and Pacific,” said Cullop, whose team is averaging a MAC-best 21.9 wins over the last 11 seasons. “In addition to playing competitive teams, it’s a great chance to show our players a part of the country that many of them have only seen in pictures.”

The Rockets’ season will officially tip off at Georgia State Nov. 5. Toledo will tangle with Dayton in its home opener, followed by a matchup at Notre Dame 11 days later.

A three-game homestand will begin against Memphis Nov. 24, Valparaiso Nov. 27 and Belmont Dec. 3. Toledo defeated all three opponents a season ago on the road, claiming a 58-48 victory against the Tigers, a 65-59 triumph vs. the Crusaders and a 78-69 win against the Bruins.

Toledo then will embark on a four-game road swing with the first stop at Duquesne (19-13, 11-5 Atlantic 10) Dec. 7. A season ago, the Rockets registered an impressive 65-52 home victory over the Dukes.

The women’s team also will face Detroit Mercy Dec. 14. The Rockets will wrap up the non-league slate with a home contest against Canisius Dec. 29.

The Rockets will play two contests against each of the five other Mid-American Conference West Division schools as well as against 2019 MAC Champion Buffalo (24-10, 12-6 MAC) Jan. 8 at home and Feb. 8 on the road, and 2019 Postseason WNIT participant Kent State (20-13, 11-7 MAC) Feb. 1 at home and Feb. 15 on the road from the East Division as part of their 18-game league schedule.

Toledo also will compete against the remaining East Division teams once, with 2019 Women’s Basketball Invitational participant Akron (16-15, 7-11 MAC) Jan. 15 and archrival Bowling Green (9-21, 2-16 MAC) Jan. 18 visiting the Glass City, and the Rockets traveling to 2019 Postseason WNIT participants Miami (23-9, 13-5 MAC) Feb. 5 and Ohio (30-6, 14-4 MAC) Feb. 19.

The Midnight Blue and Gold will commence league play at division rival Western Michigan (10-20, 4-13 MAC) Jan. 4.

The Rockets are slated to return nine letter winners in 2019-20; these include three starters from last year’s squad that posted a 21-12 overall record and an 11-7 ledger in the MAC.

The Rockets, who finished second in the MAC West Division standings, made their 12th overall appearance in the 2019 Postseason WNIT and seventh under Cullop. Toledo defeated Big East member Seton Hall, 71-65, in the first round before falling at eventual tourney finalist and Big Ten foe Northwestern, 54-47, in the second round.

Senior Mariella Santucci (9.2 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, 5.1 assists per game), senior Sara Rokkanen (6.3 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game), junior Nakiah Black (10.7 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game) and junior Tanaya Beacham (3.9 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game) will be the leading returnees for Toledo in 2019-20. Overall, Toledo welcomes back 54.0% of its scoring, 45.3% of its rebounding, 62.4% of its assists, 30.1% of its blocks, and 56.5% of its steals.

Full-time UToledo employees and retirees may purchase two tickets at half-price. UToledo students are admitted to home games free with ID.

Season and individual tickets are on sale: Visit the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, contact the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at 419.530.GOLD (4653), or go to the Toledo Central Ticket Central website.

Highlighting the Toledo men’s basketball schedule is a November matchup at Notre Dame, the first meeting between the Rockets and the Fighting Irish since they faced off in a Sweet 16 battle in the 1979 NCAA Tournament.

“We’re excited about our non-conference schedule,” said Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk. “It’s a schedule that will challenge us and help us prepare for our Mid-American Conference season.”

Toledo tips off its season at Valparaiso Nov. 5 before beginning play in the Men Against Breast Cancer Invitational. The Rockets open the event with a trip to Marshall Nov. 10 before hosting Robert Morris in their home opener Nov. 16 and Howard Nov. 17. Toledo wraps up the event by visiting Notre Dame Nov. 21.

“I think having the opportunity to play at Notre Dame is great for our fans because it’s a short drive that gives them the chance to see us play a high-major school on the road,” Kowalczyk said. “I have a lot of respect for Mike Brey and what their program stands for. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

After hosting Northwestern Ohio Nov. 23, the Rockets will entertain Oakland Nov. 30 during the Thanksgiving weekend. Toledo will play four of six games in December on the road with its home contests coming vs. Marshall Dec. 8 and Wright State Dec. 21. The Rockets will play at Cleveland State Dec. 4, Detroit Mercy Dec. 14, University of Missouri-Kansas City Dec. 17 and Bradley Dec. 28.

“We have a few new opponents on our schedule, and I really like adding Valpo because of the proximity,” Kowalczyk said. “It makes sense to play them because it’s just a short bus trip. Bradley was an NCAA Tournament team last year, and I think it’s a great home-and-home opportunity for us as well.”

Toledo will open its MAC campaign with a nationally televised contest at Ball State Jan. 3. Following their trip to Muncie, Ind., the Rockets will visit Kent State Jan. 7 before playing their first conference game in Savage Arena vs. Western Michigan Jan. 11.

“I think it’s going to be a season of transition in the MAC,” Kowalczyk said. “Last year we had 17 of 20 all-conference players returning, and this season there are 16 of 20 all-conference players leaving. I feel really good about where our program is headed with the culture of winning we have established. It’s certainly at a high level right now and something we’re going to work hard to continue.”

In addition to their five MAC West Division opponents, the Rockets will host four East Division foes — archrival Bowling Green (Jan. 25), Kent State (Jan. 28), Miami (Feb. 11) and defending league champion Buffalo (Feb. 15). The remainder of Toledo’s conference home games will include matchups vs. Central Michigan (Jan. 14), Northern Illinois (Feb. 4), Ball State (Feb. 29) and Eastern Michigan (March 6).

Toledo’s conference road schedule will be highlighted by a trip to the Stroh Center Feb. 8 for a second matchup vs. the Falcons. The Rockets also will visit MAC East Division foes Akron (Jan. 18) and Ohio (Jan. 21) in addition to traveling to Eastern Michigan (Feb. 1), Western Michigan (Feb. 22), Central Michigan (Feb. 25) and Northern Illinois (March 3).

Kowalczyk has guided the Rockets to four 20-win campaigns in the last six years, marking the first time for this accomplishment since Bob Nichols recorded five straight seasons of 20-plus victories from 1976 to 1981. Kowalczyk has led the Rockets to the second-most overall victories (129) in the MAC over the last six seasons. Toledo registered a 25-8 record with a 13-5 mark in league play last year, and its 68 MAC victories over the last six seasons rank second in the league.

The Rockets captured their second-consecutive MAC West Division title last season and earned a berth into the National Invitation Tournament with the second-most wins in program history. Toledo returns three starters from last year’s squad — junior Marreon Jackson (11.7 points per game, 4.2 assists per game), senior Luke Knapke (10.5 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game) and senior Willie Jackson (8.5 points per game, team-high 8.9 rebounds per game).

Full-time UToledo employees and retirees may purchase two tickets at half-price. UToledo students are admitted to home games free with ID.

Season and individual tickets are on sale: Visit the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, contact the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at 419.530.GOLD (4653), or go to the Toledo Central Ticket Central website.

Each November, The University of Toledo pays tribute to Native American Heritage Month.

A kickoff event will take place Monday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Thompson Student Union Room 2500. Stop by to learn about common words and names that come from Native American culture.

“We wanted to have a couple powerful events this year early in the month,” said Sydni Harmon, program coordinator in the Office of Multicultural Student Success and chair of the Native American Heritage Month Committee. “We are excited to welcome water activists to give our keynote talk.”

Beatrice Menase Kwe Jackson and Shirley Jons will be on campus Thursday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. in Thompson Student Union Room 2592. The two will perform a water ceremony and discuss their water protection efforts. Both protested the Dakota Access Pipeline, fearing an oil spill would pollute drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota.

“We also have an amazing film to show that chronicles the fight for indigenous and women’s rights,” Harmon said. “The 65-minute film is about mothers and daughters standing up for themselves in the American Indian Movement of the 1970s.”

“Warrior Women” will be screened Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 3:30 p.m. in Memorial Field House Room 1230. The 2018 documentary tells the story of Lakota activist Madonna Thunder Hunk, who has fought for indigenous and women’s rights for more than 50 years.

For more information on these free, public events, contact the Office of Multicultural Student Success at 419.530.2261 or omss@utoledo.edu.

“I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent,” according to St. Paul in the Bible (1 Timothy 2:12).

In the modern age, this thousand-year-old scripture is being challenged in many Christian denominations.

The University of Toledo Annual Murray/Bacik Lecture in Catholic Studies will tackle this question. The presentation titled “Should Catholics Have Women Priests?” will take place Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Law Center McQuade Auditorium.

Dr. Peter Feldmeier, the Murray/Bacik Professor of Catholic Studies at the University, will be the speaker.

“My hope is that people coming to the lecture become informed on the complexity of the issue, its arguments for and against, and perhaps even come to their own conclusions,” Feldmeier said. “While it is something of an in-house debate in Catholicism, it ought not to be imagined as merely a Catholic issue.”

It also is a cultural issue: Should feminism as it is being advanced in the larger culture be advanced in religion?

Feldmeier said he and Dr. Yonatan Miller, director of the UToledo Center for Religious Understanding and assistant professor of religious studies, pondered the Catholic Church’s investigation on the possibility of ordaining women as deacons. The conversation moved to the priesthood itself and how Catholicism has responded to the challenge — or failed to respond.

Presented by the UToledo Center for Religious Understanding, the free, public lecture will be followed by a dessert reception.

For more information, email cfru@utoledo.edu.

Toledo (5-3, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) will host Kent State (3-5, 2-2 MAC) in the Glass Bowl Tuesday, Nov. 5, in a game that is critical to both teams’ conference title hopes.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.; the game will be carried by the CBS Sports Network.

The Rockets are tied with Northern Illinois for fourth place in the MAC West Division, a half-game behind Western Michigan and Central Michigan (3-2) and a full game behind Ball State (3-1). The Golden Flashes are tied for third with Buffalo in the East, a game behind division leaders Ohio and Miami (3-1). A loss to either Toledo or Kent State would put their division title hopes in serious jeopardy.

The Rockets are coming off a 37-34 overtime victory over Eastern Michigan Oct. 26. Junior quarterback Eli Peters hit junior tight end Drew Rosi for a 15-yard touchdown in overtime to seal the win for Toledo. The Eagles took the lead in overtime, 34-31, on a 24-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. Toledo was faced with third-and-10 from the 15-yard line when Peters hit Rosi on a corner route to send the Rockets into a wild celebration.

The Rockets were playing without senior quarterback Mitchell Guadagni, who was injured at Bowling Green Oct. 12, and redshirt freshman Carter Bradley, who was the starter and was injured at Ball State Oct. 19. The status of Guadagni and Bradley for the Kent State game has not been announced.

Kent State is coming off a 23-16 home loss to Miami last week. The Golden Flashes opened the MAC season with wins over Bowling Green and Akron before falling to Ohio, 45-38, Oct. 19. They are led by junior dual-threat quarterback Dustin Crum, who has compiled 1,345 yards passing and 374 yards rushing.

Toledo leads the series with Kent State, 26-21. The Rockets have won the last four meetings, most recently a 56-34 victory at Kent State in 2018. Toledo is 5-1 vs. the Golden Flashes since the MAC split into divisions in 1997. This year’s game will be only the seventh meeting between the two schools in the past 25 years.

Full-time UToledo employees and retirees may purchase two tickets at half-price. Additional tickets may be purchased at the full price. UToledo students are admitted to home games free with ID.

To purchase tickets, stop by the UT Athletic Ticket Office, located in the Sullivan Athletic Complex at Savage Arena, go to the Toledo Football Ticket Central website, or call 419.530.GOLD (4653).

“An Inspired Age: Selections of 18th-Century European Art From the Collection” will open Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Toledo Museum of Art in Gallery 18.

“An Inspired Age” is organized by The University of Toledo Department of Art students in Art Museum Practices Exhibition and New Media Design Practices courses under the direction of Dr. Thor J. Mednick, UToledo associate professor of art history, and Dr. Lawrence W. Nichols, the William Hutton Senior Curator, European and American Painting and Sculpture before 1900 at the Toledo Museum of Art.

The temporary exhibition, running through Jan. 5, features 13 paintings and three sculptures.

The exhibition course, which is the last of three classes in the art museum practices curriculum, offers students the opportunity to work with a Toledo Museum of Art curator to develop an exhibition using works of art from the museum’s permanent collection. The purpose is to give students a hands-on understanding of the workings of a fine arts museum and to prepare them for a career in this field.

“The Toledo Museum of Art has a vast collection, and this allows visitors to see some of the art that has been off view while providing students real-life experience in many aspects of curating an exhibition,” Nichols said. “It has been rewarding to see the next generation of museum professionals use their education to develop this exhibition.”

The opportunity has been invaluable for the students, Mednick explained.

“Working with a world-class, private museum is a rare opportunity in museum studies courses,” Mednick said. “And to have the thoughtful and generous help of a senior curator is extraordinary.”

“An Inspired Age: Selections of 18th-Century European Art From the Collection” is sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council with additional support from 2019 Exhibition Program Sponsor ProMedica.

Admission to the Toledo Museum of Art is free. The museum is open Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; and is closed Monday and major holidays. Thursday evening hours are sponsored by Huntington Private Client Group.

The museum is located at 2445 Monroe St. at Scottwood Avenue. It is by the Center for the Visual Arts on the University’s Toledo Museum of Art Campus.

For general information, call 419.255.8000 or 800.644.6862, or visit the Toledo Museum of Art website.

The number of graduates from The University of Toledo College of Law who passed the July bar exam in Ohio on the first try is well above the state average.

It’s also UToledo’s highest result for first-time takers on the summer exam in a decade.

The newly released data shows the first-time passage rate for UToledo law graduates taking the bar exam is 89%, up from 84% in July 2018. The state average in Ohio this year is 82%.

“I am very proud of our graduates for their success on the bar exam,” said College of Law Dean D. Benjamin Barros. “We have done a lot of work at the College of Law over the past several years to help our graduates succeed on the bar exam. At the end of the day, though, it is the graduates who do the hard work needed to pass the exam, and this result is the payoff for their efforts.”

The UToledo College of Law is committed to preparing students for a successful career with programming and partnerships dedicated to bar passage.

In the last few years, the college aligned its curriculum to bar-tested subjects, developed a first-year support program, expanded its third-year bar prep course, and implemented a legal analysis course and academic success contracts.

The UToledo College of Law also created the position of director of academic success and bar preparation, designed to prepare both third-year students and graduates for the bar exam. Through post-graduation mentoring, every law graduate is paired with a faculty mentor to provide support during bar exam study.

Plus, the UToledo College of Law partnered with Barbri, a company headquartered in Texas, to offer students access to its comprehensive bar review course with flexible classroom, online and mobile learning environments.

A team of students from The University of Toledo College of Engineering’s Maker Society won first place in the Lawrence Technological University’s Innovation Encounter, a competition infusing creativity and challenge into an entrepreneurial boot camp.

Teams from UToledo, the University of Michigan, Rowan University, Ohio Northern University and Lawrence Technological University were tasked with solving a real-world problem: Improve driver safety by combating loss of tire pressure.

Eaton Corp. and its automotive group, which sponsored the event, chose the challenge because the vast majority of drivers have unsafe tire pressure, resulting in more than 11,000 accidents and 200 deaths each year.

The challenge had one major stipulation: The solution must cost less than $200 per vehicle.
UToledo’s team chose to focus on educating and incentivizing people to maintain their own tire pressure.

The students developed a $30 electronic device a user can install on the vehicle that reports when tire pressure is low. The technology communicates with a smartphone app to explain how to fill the tire up with air on the specific make and model of the vehicle, show the location of nearby tire-filling stations, and give recommendations on air compressors for purchase. The app also works with the device to detect when a car skids or loses traction due to low tire pressure and sends a notification to the driver instructing him or her on how to fix it.

At the Oct. 18-19 competition, the team used a 3-D printer to create the device and designed the app.

“We were able to deliver a solution that the judges had no idea existed,” said Charles Wade, president of the UToledo Maker Society and a junior majoring in computer science and engineering. “This is a problem that Eaton and the industry as a whole have been working on for more than 100 years, and they are pleased that our team was able to deliver new ideas to the problem space.”

Junior quarterback Eli Peters hit junior tight end Drew Rosi for a 15-yard touchdown in overtime to lead Toledo to a 37-34 victory over Eastern Michigan Saturday in a rain-soaked Glass Bowl.

The Eagles took the lead in overtime, 34-31, on a 24-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. Toledo was faced with third-and-10 from the 15-yard line when Peters hit Rosi on a corner route to send the Rockets into a wild celebration.

Sophomore running back Bryant Koback led the Rocket offense with a career-high 259 yards and two touchdowns. Peters, starting his first game of the season in place of injured quarterbacks Mitchell Guadagni and Carter Bradley, completed 9 of 18 passes for 138 and two touchdowns. Junior Shakif Seymour added 94 yards rushing as Toledo racked up 504 yards of total offense, 366 on the ground.

The win moves Toledo to 5-3, 2-2 in Mid-American Conference play, a game behind Ball State (3-1) and a half-game behind Western Michigan and Central Michigan (both 3-2). Eastern Michigan falls to 4-4, 1-3 MAC.

Toledo jumped on the board first on their opening drive, scoring on a five-yard run by Koback that capped a 15-play, 67-yard drive.

Later in the first quarter, the Rockets missed a chance to add to their lead when Koback lost the ball at the pylon on an attempted dive into the end zone, resulting in a touchback for EMU.

Evan Davis connected on 26-yard field goal early in the second quarter to boost Toledo’s lead to 10-0.

EMU cut the lead to 10-7 on a one-armed touchdown grab by Arthur Jackson from Mike Glass from 24 yards out. On their next possession the Eagles tied the score on a 29-yard field from Chad Ryland.

Toledo wasted no time to start the second half, moving 44 yards in three plays to a take a 16-10 lead. Ronnie Jones set up the drive with a 48-yard kickoff return. Seymour finished the drive with a seven-yard run. The extra point was no good due to a bobbled snap.

The Rockets added to their lead on a 19-yard TD pass from Peters to Bryce Mitchell. Peters hooked up with Rosi for the two-point conversion to make the score 24-10.

Moments later, Koback made it 31-10 with a 54-yard TD run.

EMU came back with an 11-play drive that was capped by a four-yard rushing TD by Glass. The Eagles went for two points on the conversion, but the pass attempt fell incomplete, making the score 31-16.

In the fourth quarter, EMU cut the lead to 31-24 on a three-yard TD and a two-point conversion run by Vann. With 8:18 to play. Vann scored again on a 26-yard TD run to tie the score with 2:35 left. The Eagles recovered a Toledo fumble and had a chance to win it in regulation, but Ryland’s 33-yard attempt sailed wide right with 1:03 to play.

In overtime, the Eagles took possession first and grabbed a 34-31 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Ryland.

Toledo was faced with third-and-10 from the 15-yard line when Peters hit Rosi on a corner route to send the Rockets into a wild celebration.

Up next, the Rockets host Kent State Tuesday, Nov. 5. Kickoff time will be announced soon.