NASA Flight Director for International Space Station to Speak Feb. 8
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utnews.utoledo.edu FEB. 5, 2018 VOLUME 18, ISSUE 20 NASA flight director for International Space Station to speak Feb. 8 By Christine Billau n alumnus of The University of AToledo and NASA flight director for the International Space Station at Johnson Space Center’s Mission Control in Houston will return to his alma mater as part of UT’s continuing celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ritter Astrophysics Research Center. Dr. Robert Dempsey, who received a master’s degree and PhD in physics from UT in 1987 and 1991, will speak at the University about guiding human space flights and astronomical exploration Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. in the Driscoll Alumni Center Auditorium. The free, public event is titled “Houston, We Have a Problem — When continued on p. 3 Dempsey University, AAA to kick off series of free, public seminars Stronger student on autonomous vehicles Feb. 7 retention increases By Christine Billau spring enrollment By Meghan Cunningham s vehicles equipped with self-driving technologies are poised to become the future of transportation, A ore students are enrolled at The The University of Toledo College of Engineering and AAA University of Toledo this spring Northwest Ohio are teaming up to host a series of free, public M semester thanks to increased efforts to talks to educate consumers about how smart cars will impact support student success. the world. The total enrollment for spring The first seminar in the bimonthly series to help drivers semester 2018 is 19,236 students, according be informed, prepared and comfortable with the shift in to official 15-day census numbers. There mobility will be Wednesday, Feb. 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the were 19,221 students enrolled in spring Lois and Norman Nitschke Auditorium. General Motors will semester 2017. have an autonomous vehicle on site. Spring enrollment reflects an improved Speakers will include Dave Hobbs, field service training undergraduate fall-to-spring-semester instructor for Delphi Products and Service Solutions, and retention rate of 90.6 percent for the current Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and 2017-18 academic year. It was 89.3 percent industry relations for AAA. Both speakers will participate in a for 2016-17 and 89.1 percent for the 2015- panel discussion featuring UT engineering researchers 16 academic year. Dr. Eddie Chou, Dr. Ahmad Javaid and Dr. Jared Oluoch. “Student success is the reason we “The biggest impact of autonomous vehicles in the near are here,” UT President Sharon L. Gaber future will be a significant reduction in the number of traffic said. “All of us at the University, from the crashes, therefore saving thousands of lives each year,” academic colleges to the student affairs said Chou, professor of civil engineering and director of the staff, are focused on supporting our students Transportation Systems Research Laboratory at UT. “It will in and out of the classroom. I am proud fundamentally change transportation mobility and how people those efforts are having a positive impact on travel.” continued on p. 3 continued on p. 3 FEB. 5, 2018 NEWS Alumni Association, UT Foundation launch new websites By Laurie B. Davis he University of Toledo Alumni Foundation. TAssociation and UT Foundation are “We wanted kicking off 2018 with newly redesigned to provide a websites that are more closely tied to the streamlined University brand. donation The new websites aim to improve the process user experience through simpler navigation, and easily better-organized information, more accessible and photography and videos, and new ways to well-organized stay informed and connected to UT. The financial sites have been built on the same platform information.” as the University’s website, allowing for “We more sharing of relevant content between also wanted sites. to tell more Research to develop the new websites stories about began last summer, when users were the donors surveyed about their expectations and online who support experiences. A cross-functional team from UT through Marketing and Communications, the UT their gifts,” Foundation, UT Alumni Association, and she added. “Now we have a platform to do Information Technology worked together that.” using those responses to revamp both sites. The UT Foundation website continues “The new University of Toledo to provide annual reports, financial Foundation website offers our generous statements and investment performance donors a better web experience,” reviews. said Brenda Lee, president of the UT continued on p. 4 Making a difference Photos by Daniel Miller Steven Klar, a 1971 UT business alumnus, took a bag of rice to seal from his son, Ashton, at the Feed Longtime UT benefactor and 1979 business alumnus Ed Kinsey, left, handed a bag of rice to be My Starving Children program Jan. 27 in the Health Education Building. They were two of the 854 weighed to Dr. Hassan HassabElnaby, interim dean of the College of Business and Innovation, at the volunteers who produced 173,000 meals that will feed 472 children for one year. UT’s participation mobile pack Jan. 27. A total of $40,000 was raised for the event, according to Dr. Clint Longenecker, in the mobile pack event was sponsored by the College of Business and Innovation Klar Leadership Distinguished University Professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Organizational Academy, which was founded in 2015 with support from the New York City builder and real estate Excellence. The Kinsey Family Foundation was a primary sponsor of this year’s event. developer. 2 NEWS FEB. 5, 2018 Staff Leadership Development Program to improve careers, UT’s future By Christine Wasserman he University of Toledo has launched campuses, as well as from many different developing the curriculum. “I see much Kuntz, Engineering Career Development Tits inaugural class of the UT Staff job categories throughout the organization,” potential in this first class. The skills they Center in the College of Engineering; Leadership Development Program to Davis explained. “In addition to experienced hone over the next several months should Sara Lockett, Purchasing/Finance; Elliott cultivate high-potential emerging leaders UT faculty and leaders who guide class have a significant impact on UT throughout Nickeson, Registrar’s Office; Daniel Perry, who, in the years ahead, may assume discussions, this diversity helps to ensure the next decade and beyond.” Facilities and Construction; Tiffany Preston- leadership roles, as well as grow in their participants are exposed to many different The cohort selected for the inaugural Whitman, University College; Jason Rahe, current positions. perspectives on any given topic.” class of UT’s Staff Leadership Development Division of Technology and Advanced “In alignment with UT’s strategic The program, which launched in Program are Cristina Alvarado, College Solutions; Staci Sturdivant, College of plan to foster a culture of excellence for October 2017 and concludes in October of Medicine and Life Sciences; Stefanie Health and Human Services; Craig Turner, our faculty and staff, we’ve launched this 2018 with a capstone project, requires Bias, Neurosciences; Stacey Jo Brown, College of Business and Innovation; and program to provide a more formal process members to spend approximately three Legal Affairs; Candace Busdiecker, Matthew Wise, Division of Technology and for career development for employees at hours each month discussing topics College of Medicine and Life Sciences; Advanced Solutions. all levels throughout the University,” said such as fiscal responsibilities; human Lori DeShetler, Judith Herb College of “It is wonderful to see the University President Sharon L. Gaber. resources policies and procedures; health- Education; Josh Dittman, Intercollegiate focus so many resources on developing “The program is designed to assist care operations; student recruitment and Athletics; Kelly Donovan, Controller’s the next generation of leadership in higher participants with honing leadership skills, enrollment management; creating a culture Office; Shelly Drouillard, Career Services; education,” said Dr. Jenell L. S. Wittmer, as well as to expose them to cross-campus of customer service; ethical leadership; Jamie Fager, College of Natural Sciences associate professor of management, who networking and dialogue with many current career success; and legal issues in higher and Mathematics; Beth Gerasimiak, Office facilitates sessions on communication leaders,” stated Wendy Davis, associate vice education. of the Provost; Melissa Hansen, Medical with diverse groups and emotional president for human resources and talent “These individuals also are required Education; Heather Huntley, Office of the intelligence. “The participants bring their development. to complete summer reading assignments Provost; Angelica Johnson, College of work experiences into the classroom, and “A selection committee chose this first on various leadership topics,” said Carrie Arts and Letters; Deirdre Jones, Edward H. they are learning from each other. This class based on their leadership potential Herr, director for the Center for Continuous Schmidt School of Professional Sales in the program is a perfect example of the positive and selected individuals from across all Improvement, who was instrumental in College of Business and Innovation; Vickie transformation underway at UT.” NASA flight director Autonomous vehicles continued from p. 1 continued from p. 1 Things Go Wrong on the International 2003 as a communications and tracking An autonomous vehicle will be on and millennial drivers most accepting of Space Station.” officer for the International Space Station. display for students to view inside the the new automotive technology, according “We all have contingency plans, but “We are especially excited because Nitschke Technology Commercialization to a new AAA study, which can be read at what do you do when something goes Dr. Dempsey is one of our own: He is Complex in the Brady Engineering newsroom.aaa.com/2018/01/americans- wrong in space?” said Dr. Jillian Bornak, an alum of The University of Toledo’s Innovation Center from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.