Three Distinguished University Lecturers recently were named in honor of their exemplary teaching, support of student success, and demonstration of their commitment to UToledo’s educational mission.
The newest Distinguished University Lecturers, who were approved and recognized by the Board of Trustees April 15, are:
Distinguished University Lecturers named this month were, from left, Linda Beall, Dr. Martin Ohlinger and Dr. Sibylle Weck-Schwarz.
• Dr. Martin Ohlinger of the Pharmacy Practice Department and clinical associate professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; and
• Dr. Sibylle Weck-Schwarz of the Mathematics and Statistics Department in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
“Being named a Distinguished University Lecturer is the highest honor the institution can bestow upon a lecturer,” said Dr. Karen Bjorkman, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This honorary title is given in recognition of lecturers who excel in advancing the University’s educational mission and facilitating student success. They play such an important role in these areas, and we are very proud of the outstanding work that they do.”
Beall joined the University faculty in 2000. She served as interim chair of the Engineering Technology Department from 2016 to 2019. Beall is a board member for the Toledo Design Center and a member of the Toledo Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, as well as a member of the American Institute of Architects Engage Studio. She was the designer for 13 local and regional projects since 2002, and has been a consultant, expert witness and designer for local and national architectural firms. Her consistently positive teaching evaluations demonstrate success in translating her extensive professional experience to the classroom.
“One of the great pleasures of teaching in Engineering Technology, and one which elicits a positive response from my students, has been the opportunity to both teach and engage in professional practice simultaneously, giving me the ability to bring active professional practice into the classroom and teaching and mentoring of interns into the office,” Beall said. “I am grateful to both all my students for being responsive to this aspect of my teaching as well as the generosity of the architectural firms who have given me great flexibility in my schedule as well as my role in their organization.”
Ohlinger came to the University in 2000. He is director of the Critical Care Pharmacy Resideny Program, a clinical pharmacy specialist in Surgical Critical Care at UToledo Medical Center, and director of the Honors Program in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Ohlinger was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine (2013) and into the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society (2017) and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2015). His teaching evaluations reflect the success of his experiential teaching and bedside-to-classroom approach, in which he brings real cases to students, and show his impact on students’ lives.
“I am both honored and humbled to be recognized as a Distinguished University Lecturer,” Ohlinger said. “This recognition is really a testament to the amazing faculty, staff, administration, students and patients I’ve been fortunate enough to work with, teach, and serve at this great university for nearly 20 years.”
Weck-Schwarz joined the University faculty in 1989. She is the assistant director of the Math Learning and Resource Center. Weck-Schwarz received the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Award for Excellence in Teaching (2014-15) and was nominated for The University of Toledo’s Outstanding Teacher Award (2013). She has developed courses; played a leading role in the department in enhancing teaching with technology; collaborated on the design of the College Algebra Camp and the Trigonometry Summer Camp; designed and programmed algorithmically generated online homework questions and feedback; and facilitated the departmental pro-seminar on teaching college mathematics.
“I love teaching. It energizes me to communicate with my students, who are so full of passion and dreams. I am awed to think of them as the doctors, engineers, researchers, inventors, educators of the future,” Weck-Schwarz said. “As every teacher will tell you, one of the most rewarding experiences of teaching is seeing the first spark of understanding, seeing that light bulb go on. It is second only to hearing about students’ success — when they let me know that they have been admitted to medical school, or to the PharmD program, or are going to join a company producing medical devices — and feeling that I have contributed a little piece along the way to achieving their dreams.”
