Class Notes
Please send your class note to: Amanda.schwartz@utoledo.edu
’70’s
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Dr. Michael Day (MED ’72) wrote a book about his career as a doctor in Lafayette, Ind. His 30-chapter book, “Lessons My Patients Taught Me,” contains many anecdotes about his patients. All proceeds from the book are going to charities and medical organizations. |
Dennis J. “Denny” Addis (Bus ’75) has announced his plans to retire in May 2015 from The Andersons Grain Group from his role of president. Addis had a 43-year career with The Andersons, beginning 1971 bagging fertilizer and loading trucks as a part-time employee while a student at UT.
**Ed Ciecka (MA ’73) is stepping down from his position as the Rossford, Ohio city administrator to join his wife in retirement. Ciecka worked for 31 years with Lucas County, where he was the county administrator. He held the position of city administrator in Rossford for 11 years and will remain in the Toledo area to enjoy retirement.
’80’s
| Hal Gregory (Ed ’89) was appointed as Superintendent of Oregon City Schools, located in Oregon, Ohio. Gregory has been with the district for 12 years and has been assistant superintendent since 2008. |  |
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Jonathan Mack (Law ’83) has been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel for its “Nation’s Top Attorneys” recognition. Mack is the vice chairman of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Council of Trustees and executive committee member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors. |
| Teresa Ghazoul (MED ’85) joined Avita Health System as a medical specialist in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Her office is located in Ontario, Ohio. |  |
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Amy L. Dixon (A/S ’80) published a non-fiction book, “A Hole in the Fence: Getting to the Other Side of Divorce.” The book is about hope and healing after a divorce. |
| Steve Rhodes (Bus ’85, MBA ’91) has been re-elected as president and chairman of The Touchstone Energy Board of Directors. Touchstone Energy is a national brand associated with nearly 800 electric cooperatives located across the U.S. Rhodes has served on the board since 2010. |  |
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Dr. Timothy Law Snyder (A/S ’81, A/S ’81, MS ’83) was named as Loyola Marymount University’s 16th president. Loyola, located in Los Angeles, Calif., is a private university with 9,400 students. Snyder was vice president for academic affairs at Loyola University Maryland from 2007-2014. He was awarded by the UT College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics as their Outstanding Alum of the Year at Homecoming in 2014. |
Celia Williamson (UTCTC ’83, A/S 88) received the Jefferson Award, which honors individuals for community and public service. Williamson was selected from a list of 53 nominees and 15 finalists for her efforts as a social worker to fight human trafficking. She founded the Second Chance Program in 1993 and also secured federal funding to create the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition. UT created the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute to help educate people across the nation about what she calls modern-day slavery.
Patricia R. Richards (A/S ’83) was elected by her colleagues as the new chair of the board of directors for the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP). Richards is the president and CEO of SelectHealth, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. SelectHealth is a part of one of the nation’s top-ranked integrated health systems, ensuring high-quality healthcare at the lowest possible cost for the community.
Ford Weber (A/S ’83, Law ’87) was hired as director of economic development for the city of Dayton, Ohio. Weber will be responsible for planning, organizing and implementing strategies to build Dayton’s economic base. He will seek to retain businesses in Dayton and attract new investment.
Annette P. Sabo Johnson (Ed ’88) was elected to the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Foundation board of trustees in February 2015. The EMU Foundation operates with the sole mission and purpose of providing additional financial support to students, programs and services on behalf of the University.
Dr. James T. Harris III (Ed ’80) was selected as The University of San Diego’s fourth president since the 1972 merger of the San Diego College for Women and the University of San Diego College for Men and School of Law. The University has over 6,300 students on four campuses in two states and is recognized as one of the nation’s top universities for civic engagement.
Pradeep Saha (Eng ’88, MBA ’91) is the new president and CEO of Horsburgh & Scott, located in Cleveland, Ohio. The company employs about 200 people and is a custom gear and gearbox manufacturer.
| *Patricia A. Wise (Law ’85) is a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace. The Select Task Force will examine the problem of workplace harassment in all of its forms and look for ways by which it might be prevented and addressed. Wise is one of 16 Task Force members from around the country. She is a partner at Niehaus, Wise & Kalas, located in Toledo, Ohio |  |
’90’s
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Dr. Jennifer Christner (MED ’95) has been named dean of the school of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, located in Houston, Texas. |
| **Steven Cavanaugh (Bus ’92) is the 2015 recipient of the Business Pacemaker Award from the UT College of Business and Innovation and the Business Engagement and Leadership Council. The Pacemaker Award recognizes an individual for outstanding achievement in business as well as contributions to the community and the University. Cavanaugh is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Toledo-based HCR ManorCare Inc., a healthcare services company with yearly 60,000 employees. He also received the James K. Larson Distinguished Achievement Award from UT’s Jesup Scott Honors College at Homecoming 2013. |  |
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Kelly Phillips (NRSG ’93, PhD ’06) received an Honorable Mention from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) as a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL). A CNL is a fast-emerging nursing role developed by the AACN in collaboration with leaders from education and practice to improve the quality of patient care and better prepare nurses to thrive in today’s healthcare system in any setting. Phillips is the program director for the MSN Graduate Entry Clinical Nurse Leader program at the UT College of Nursing. |
| Sarah Prout (Law ’98) was hired as the executive director of the Michigan Council of Women in Technology. She brings nearly 20 years of advocacy and leadership experience to the position. The Michigan Council of Women in Technology is focused on growing the number of women in the technology fields and making Michigan the top state for women in technology. It supports Michigan’s female IT workforce, students, and corporate partners and provides programs and funds to help educate and engage young female students in IT. |  |
John Stipancich (Bus ’90) was appointed as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Newell Rubbermaid, located in Atlanta, Ga. As chief financial officer, he will be responsible for external reporting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, internal audit, risk management, information technology and investor relations. Newell Rubbermaid is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products, such as Sharpie, Paper Mate, Calphalon and Rubbermaid.
Chad Yoakam (Ed ’94, Ed ’94, MHHS ’00) is the new clinic director for the Manhattan office location of Excel Physical Therapy. Yoakam specializes in the rehabilitation of lower extremity dysfunction including complex foot and ankle problems.
Phil Kortokrax (MBA ’93) has been promoted to the position of vice president of North American tire operations of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. In this role, he will be responsible for the strategic leadership and growth of all Cooper operations in the U.S. and Canada. Cooper Tire & Rubber is the parent company of a global family of companies that specialize in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of passenger car and light truck tires. They are headquartered in Findlay, Ohio.
*Gino Torio (Eng ’98, MEng ’06) joined Parker Hannifin in the hybrid drive division, located in Columbus, Ohio. Torio will serve as the division program manager and will be responsible for new product introduction projects and product portfolio management. Parker Hannifin, headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, specializes in motion and control technologies, including aerospace, climate control and fluid and gas handling.
’00’s
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Dr. Lonny J. Rivera (MEd ’00, PhD ’09) took a position as the associate superintendent for the Ohio Department of Education. Formerly Rivera was the superintendent at Oregon City Schools, located in Oregon, Ohio. |
| Erika Beckman (MEd ’06) has been selected as principal of Erie Huron Ottawa Vocational Education (EHOVE) Career Center, a leading career tech school in Milan, Ohio, for the 2015-2016 school year. Beckman served as an assistant director at EHOVE since 2010. |  |
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Dr. Aymen Shatnawi (PhD ’07) has joined the University of Charleston in the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences as an assistant professor. |
| Dr. Paul Hong (PhD ’00), the professor of operations management in the UT College of Business and Innovation, wrote “Building Network Capabilities in Turbulent Competitive Environments: Business Success Stories from the BRICs.” The book presents strategies for recognizing the challenges and optimizing the opportunities for building network capabilities and competitive advantage with the context of the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). |  |
Alex J. Adams (Pharm ’07, PharmD ’09) was selected by the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute and the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society as the recipient of the 2015 Albert B. Prescott Pharmacy Leadership Award. This award is presented to a young pharmacist no more than 10 years into his or her career who has demonstrated exemplary leadership accomplishments.
Martha Champa (MEd ’00) was the February 2015 teacher of the month, awarded by Toledo newspaper, The Blade. Champa works in the Washington Local school district with the gifted population.
Matt Smith (Ed ’06) is the men’s varsity basketball coach at Swanton High School, located in Swanton, Ohio. Smith currently serves as the dean of students at the Swanton Middle School.
’10’s
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Sarah Mellon (MEd ’10) recently joined Michigan State University, located in Lansing, Mich., to serve as the veteran resource representative for the university’s Veterans Resource Center. In this role, she will assist service members, veterans, their spouses and dependents with information and resources necessary to meet their academic, professional and personal goals. |
| Dr. Greg Guzman (PhD ’14) was appointed as Northwest Ohio’s representative on the Ohio Commission on Hispanic-Latino Affairs. Guzman is the executive director of Central City Ministry for the Toledo Catholic Diocese. He oversees Queen of Apostles and Rosary Cathedral, both K-8 elementary schools. |  |
Faculty, staff & friends
Ciara Metzoian, Steuart Besley, Julia Brookover, Megan Cunningham and Mackenzie Shiflett (current UT students in psychology) are all members of the UT Psychology Honor’s Society, Psi Chi, and presented at the annual conference of the Midwestern Psychological Association in Chicago, Ill. Their presented research is on how individuals’ personal theories about weight and feelings of weight stigma influence self-perceptions and cognitive attention.
Jacob Fox (current UT student in psychology) was awarded the Psi Chi Regional Research Award. This award was given for his research project “Does Choosing Help Everyone?: Examining the Relationships Between Choice, Self-Construal, and Pain.”
Dr. Kamala London (current UT faculty) recently had an article accepted in the journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology. The article is entitled “Development Trends in False Memory Across Adolescence and Young Adulthood: A Comparison of DRM and Memory Conformity Paradigms.”
Jill Brown and Heather Haught (current UT doctoral students in psychology) had a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Behavioral Decision-Making. Heather recently took a research position to work at North Carolina Department of Commerce, located at Raleigh, N.C.
Erin Vogel (current UT doctoral student in psychology) won two awards at the Midwest Graduate Research Symposium held on UT’s campus in March. She won the Top Women in STEM award from the Association of Women in Science as well as second place for an oral presentation award.
Births and Marriages
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Nicholas Kundmueller (Eng ’05) and Amy Kundmueller (HHS ’05) are elated to announce the birth of their second child, Lorelai Grace Kundmueller, on June 10, 2014. She joins her big brother Clayton to make a family of four. |
| Matthew R. Clausing (Bus ’06) and Jennifer L. Clausing (HHS ’06, OTD ’09) celebrated the birth of their first child, Nolan Robert Clausing, on December 23, 2014. |  |
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Deborah C. Rohrs (Law ’09) and Jeremiah G. Frank were joined in marriage on April 11, 2015 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Defiance, Ohio. |
| Evan Michael Wolf (Bus ’08) and Brooke Michelle Higdon (CALL ’11) announced their engagement and are currently planning a wedding for August 22, 2015. |  |
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Ryan Beat (Eng ’02) and Emily Lyczkowski (Bus ’13) are engaged and will wed on August 8, 2015 at Nazareth Hall, located in Grand Rapids, Ohio. Emily is a human resource specialist at UT and Ryan is an electrical engineer at SSOE. |
| Craig Ewing Soller (Bus ’08, MBA ’09) and Ashley Lin Feher exchanged vows on July 26, 2014 at St. Petri’s Lutheran Church in Toledo. Craig is employed as a financial analyst for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and Ashley is employed as a nurse at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, also located in Columbus. |  |
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Kristi Shields (A/S ’06) and Dave Mehrman were married on October 18, 2014 at Lacuna Artist Lofts in Chicago, Ill. The couple honeymooned in Thailand and resides in Chicago, Ill. |
Faculty, staff & friends
Daniel G. Sundberg, Sylvania, Ohio at 60. He was an instructor in the Department of Mathematics since 2004.
Lowell I. Hinkle, Perrysburg, Ohio at 78. He was a former UT instructor.
Dr. Clayton L. Ziegler (Eng ’52, MBA ’67), Waterville, Ohio at 90. Ziegler became a lecturer of mathematics in 1961 and in 1965 became an instructor in engineering technology in the Community and Technical College. He also served as chair of the Engineering Technology Department from 1975-1977 and from 1980-1984. While at UT, he helped develop the bachelor of engineering technology two-plus-two program. He also established four two-year programs: industrial engineering technology in 1969, climate control technology in 1975, plastics engineering technology in 1984 and quality engineering technology in 1987. Ziegler was granted emeritus status in 1987 and continued to teach one term a year until 1996.
Dr. James L. Bailey, Garfield Heights, Ohio at 84. He joined the UT faculty as an associate professor in 1963 and was named a professor 10 years later. In 1968, Bailey and two engineering faculty members were selected by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to conduct research on the effects of earthquakes near nuclear plants. While at UT, he also taught graduate courses at NASA in Cleveland, Ohio. Bailey retired in 1987 and was granted emeritus status and continued to teach one term a year until 1995.
Jeffrey A. Huffman (A/S ’89), Copley, Ohio at 48. As a student he wrote for The Collegian and after graduation he joined the UT staff as an assistant director in the Sports Information Office. In 1995, Huffman moved to the Alumni Relations Office, where he served as assistant director of the annual fund, associate director of alumni relations and director of alumni programming.
Dr. Robert D. Matz, Toledo at 68. He was an assistant professor of educational psychology during the mid-1970s.
Joanne P. Roehrs, Toledo at 82. She was a member of the Satellites Auxiliary who volunteered at the hospital.
John M. “Jack” Ford (Law ’75, MA ’78), Toledo at 67. He was a longtime politician and was Toledo’s first black mayor and a former Democratic leader in the Ohio House of Representatives. He was president of city council for 21 years, and he served as mayor from 2002-2005.
Carole J. Napolski, Toledo at 80. She was hired in 1978 and in 1987 was named assistant manager in the Business Office. One year later, she was named assistant manager of special projects. In 1991, Napolski became special assignments coordinator and left the institution in 1992.
Mary F. Spencer, Toledo at 83. She worked at UT for more than two decades. Spencer was hired as a clerk typist in the Physical Education Department in 1969. Two years later, she was named secretary in the department, where she retired from as secretary II in 1992.
Cheryl A. Wesolowski, Mesa, Ariz. at 59. She was a nurse at MCO from 1976 to 1983.
40’s
Phyllis Siskind (A/S ’41, MEd ’59), Toledo at 81.
Jean Wagener (Ed ’49), Naples, Fla. at 88.
Virginia Blakesley (Ed ’42), West Tisbury, Mass. at 94.
Dr. Leo English (A/S ’40), San Jose, Calif. at 96.
50’s
**William Hundley (Bus ’53), Ponte Vedra, Fla. at 88.
**Robert Rejent (Eng ’52), Toledo at 86.
Bernard Johnson (Pharm ’50), Marco Island, Fla. at 87.
**Richard Cox (Bus ’53), Whitehouse, Ohio at 84.
Loann Kent (Ed ’58), Naples, Fla. at 80.
Joan Wiley (Bus ’53), Perrysburg, Ohio at 84.
60’s
Sandra Meyers (Ed ’64), Yorba Linda, Calif. at 73.
Roger Trudel (A/S ’62), Toledo at 75.
Jacqueline Kirkendall (Ed ’68, MEd ’78), Sylvania, Ohio at 71.
Christopher Hill (UTCTC ’68, Univ Coll ’79), Ida, Mich. at 68.
70’s
**Dr. Mary Lenkay (RES ’72), Toledo at 94.
Jane Hillebrand (Law ’79), Livermore, Calif. at 58.
John Kalisz (UTCTC ’76), Holland, Ohio at 74.
Richard Oehlers (UTCTC ’75), Hamilton, Ind. at 77.
Charles Feilhardt (Univ Coll ’75), Toledo at 63.
Kenneth Crots (Bus ’70), Riga, Mich. at 67.
Bonnie Swan (UTCTC ’76), Holland, Ohio at 62.
Gary Osburn (UTCTC ’76), Toledo at 79.
80’s
Anne Hasenauer Getz (UTCTC ’87), Toledo at 49.
The Hon. Thomas Bunch (Law ’80), Chillicothe, Ohio at 66.
Linda Castro (UTCTC ’86, A/S ’91), Toledo at 57.
*Mary Spencer (A/S ’87), Toledo at 84.
Rose Lonsway (Univ Coll ’84), Tiffin, Ohio at 71.
Robert Losey (Law ’84), Huntington, W.Va. at 63.
Mark Macksey (Bus ’87), Toledo at 54.
90’s
Michael Corey (Bus ’91), Perrysburg, Ohio at 48.
Brian Ueberroth (Ed ’98), Swanton, Ohio at 42.
*James Terry (Ed ’90), Perrysburg, Ohio at 51.
Ellenie Ash-Godwin (Ed ’97), Toledo at 66.
Lori Kohler (Ed ’93), Toledo at 46.
00’s
Kristine Grooms (HHS ’01), Toledo at 38.
*Annual Alumni Association Member
**Lifetime Alumni Association Member
