UToledo CAL eNewsletter

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News and Events

September 2024

NEXT ISSUE: October 2024

NPR'S Leila Fadel Speaks at UToledo

Leila Fadel co host of NPRs Morning Edition and Up First podcast

The UToledo College of Arts and Letters is proud to have welcomed NPR's Leila Fadel to campus Sept. 9. She spoke to a full house at the UToledo Law Center Auditorium about her career as a journalist reporting from war-torn areas such as the current conflict in the Middle East. WTOL-TV interviewed her at the lecture.

Fadel is a Lebanese American journalist and a co-host of National Public Radio's Morning Edition and NPR's Up First podcast. Previously she was the network's Cairo bureau chief. Fadel also received the George Polk Award for her coverage of the Iraq War.

For more details about the Maryse and Ramzy Mikhail Memorial Lecture, visit the lecture website.

UToledo Chamber Singers Invited to Perform at OMEA in February 2025

UToledo Chamber Singers led by choral director Micah Bland

The UToledo Chamber Singers were one of four collegiate choral ensembles selected to perform at the 2025 OMEA professional development conference.

To be considered for this rare performance opportunity, ensembles in Ohio must apply and submit audio recordings from the past year. These recordings are evaluated and adjudicated by a panel of choral directors.

The last time the UToledo Chamber Singers were selected to perform at OMEA was in 1997. The UToledo women's and men's choruses were selected to perform in 2005 and 2010, respectively.

The OMEA performance will take place on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 3:30pm in Cleveland, OH.

Fall Theatre Workshop Gives the Spotlight to Actors with Developmental Disabilities

OpenSpot Theatre, the UToledo Department of Theatre and Film and the UToledo Disability Studies Program are hosting a fall workshop in theatre for adults with developmental disabilities.

Participants will learn about the art of musical theatre through singing, acting and dancing. It is open to anyone age 17 or older. The workshop and the performance will be held in the UToledo Center for Performing Arts.

Workshop: Sept. 12 - Oct. 24

Showcase Performance: Oct. 24

OpenSpot performance in April 2024 at UToledo

Our Amazing Arts and Letters Students

Audrey Harrigan Asian Studies student at UToledo

Student's Summer Research in Japan

UToledo Asian Studies student Audrey Harrigan spent her summer researching Japanese communities in Ohio. This month, she is in Japan to study this fall.

Audrey's story...

Closeup photo of a dandelion seed pod by Vince Livecchi

CAL Student Chosen as an ARToledo Emerging Artist

Vince Livecchi, a visual arts and media communication senior was one of four emerging artists featured in the exhibition ARToledo in June at 20 North Gallery in downtown Toledo.

He credits his Professional Practices class with Deborah Orloff (Department of Art) with giving him the skills he needed to make his portfolio stand out and win acceptance. More...

Emma Heslop UToledo student majoring in Womens and Gender Studies and Environmental Studies

Womens and Gender Studies student Shakayla Waters at OSU OSU John Glenn College of Public Affairs NEW Leadership Academy

Women's and Gender Studies have GUTS and Glory

Emma Heslop, a Women's and Gender Studies and Environmental Studies student, heleped found GUTS (Greening UToledo Through Service Learning). Her group is helping UToledo and the community plant native plants to help sequester carbon, conserve water, cut fossil fuels, and prevent soil erosion. WTOL-TV news clip...

Another WGST student, Shakayla Waters, was selected to participate in the OSU John Glenn College of Public Affairs NEW Leadership Academy this summer. The academy is a competitive, fully-funded, five day, nonpartisan leadership development and mentoring program helping young women learn how to become advocates about issues they care about.

Alumni Spotlight - Kayla Kirk, Art '17

Kayla Kirk UToledo art alumna 2017 in her shop with a large pot in the works

Kayla Kirk, a BFA and BA graduate in art from The University of Toledo in 2017, has opened Charmed Ceramics, her own pottery studio within Huron Street Studios. Kayla and renowned glass blower Ryan Thompson re-opened the former Gathered Glassblowing Studio as Huron Street Studios.

Kayla has spent the last three years at Detroit’s historic Pewabic Pottery working as a production potter and educator. Her work is driven by a deep appreciation for nature and emphasizes the transformative magic of clay into fine art.

Huron Street Studios will hold an open house on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 3-10 p.m.

Geography and Planning Faculty Help Bring Major Conference Closer to Home

Patrick Lawrence and Minxuan Lan UToledo Department of Geography and Planning

Patrick Lawrence and Minxuan Lan (Department of Geography and Planning) have been appointed to serve on the local arrangements committee for the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers in Detroit. They will be involved with general conference planning, including focusing on opportunities for students, organization of special sessions, and assisting with local field trip arrangements. This event attracts over 6,000 faculty, students, and practitioners, traveling from over 30 countries.

CAL Faculty Receive Scholarly and Creative Work Awards

Pictured top left and clockwise - Ayendy Bonifacio, Joseph Gamble, Joey Kim,

Stephen Sakowski, Matt Foss, and Jon Elhai

The UToledo 2024 Awards for Creative and Scholarly Activity were awarded to 21 faculty members in recognition of their scholarly or creative activity. Of those, 6 faculty are from the College of Arts and Letters.

From the Department of English Language and Literature, Ayendy Bonifacio was recognized for several articles, book chapters and conference presentations. Joseph Gamble was honored for his book “Sex Lives: Intimate Infrastructures in Early Modernity,” from the University of Pennsylvania Press. Joey Kim won for her book of poetry, “Body Facts,” and her first scholarly monograph, “Romanticism and the Poetics of Orientation.”

In the Department of Theatre and Film, Matt Foss was recognized for the short film, “Sons of Toledo,” which was a finalist in five Oscar-qualifying festivals and has won numerous national and international awards. Stephen Sakowski was awarded for his extensive involvement in orchestrating large-scale live events of both national and international significance, where he undertook pivotal roles as a lighting director and lighting designer.

Jon Elhai from the Department of Psychology was recognized for three highly cited articles in the top 1% of the academic field.

Upcoming Events

See all these events and more on the CAL Calendar! It is available online at utoledo.edu/al/calendar. Please bookmark it! If you have a CAL event to share, you can also share it there by clicking on the Submit Event link on the page.

Each event below links to its calendar event online when you click the event's title.

Date	Events
Thursday, Sept. 12	OPENSPOT FALL THEATRE WORKSHOP For Adults with Developmental Disabilities Thursday, Sept. 12 - Oct. 24 - Workshop Dates Thursday, Oct 24 - Showcase Performance Center for Performing Arts, Studio Theatre
Friday, Sept. 13	UTOLEDO ROCKET MARCHING BAND OPEN REHEARSAL 4:30p.m. Glass Bowl Stadium
Saturday, Sept. 14	BANDS OF AMERICA NORTHWEST OHIO REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS All Day Glass Bowl Stadium
Wednesday, Sept. 18	WGST STUDENT RESEARCH SHOWCASE 1 p.m. University Hall 4180

CAL Accomplishments

Publishing and Creative Work

JUNE/JULY 2024: Eric Zeigler (Department of Art) had his work featured in a number of exhibitions this summer. His photographic work "Metamorphosis" was presented at Loosen Art in Rome, Italy in June, chosen from 1,286 submitted works. A solo exhibition of the photographic series "DoubleTake," made in collaboration with ecologist Aaron M. Ellison, was shown at Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA), Seoul, Korea in July.

JUNE 2024: Barry Whittaker (Department of Art) presented a series of design lectures and led a workshop on sound design at Yanshan University in Qinhuangdao, China. His sound work "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" was recently exhibited at ICOSA Collective in Austin, Texas.

MAY 2024: The journal "Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC)" asked Eric Zeigler and Barry Whittaker (Department of Art) to develop designs for its covers, each exploring a challenging topic. For this cover, the subject was a stimulated nerve synapse in a lamprey eel.

AUGUST 2024: Jason Cox (Department of Art) presented at Gen Con, the largest tabletop game convention in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including role-playing games, miniatures, war games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, and strategy games. Jason demonstrated his game "Five-Hundred-Year-Old Vampire" for educators and professionals. He also ran three four-hour games of "Five-Hundred-Year-Old Vampire" at the event.

AUGUST 2024: Joseph Gamble (Department of English Language and Literature) co-edited "The Kinky Renaissance," published by the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Press.

AUGUST 2024: Ayendy Bonifacio and Joey Kim (Department of English Language and Literature) both presented at the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism conference in Washington.

AUGUST 2024: Tim Geiger (Department of English Language and Literature) published poems in Chautauqua, Anti-Heroin Chic, and After Happy Hour Review.

AUGUST 2024: Dan McInnis (Department of Art) is featured in a solo exhibition Aug. 27-Nov 2 at Wright State University. His "Elementary" portfolio exhibition coincides with the FotoFocus international biennial in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, which includes over 100 exhibitions of photography.

Awards

MAY 2024: The Royal Studies Journal, in association with the University of Winchester Press (UK), selected "Anne of Bohemia" by Kristen Geaman (Department of History) as one of the top three books on Royal Studies published in the last two years. One of the three books receives the biennial book prize, and the other two books are dubbed "Highly Recommended" runners up. The selection committee deemed Kristen's book "Highly Recommended."

SUMMER 2024: Barry Jackisch (Department of History) received a grant from the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission to develop/revise Holocaust-related curriculum and programming at UToledo.

MAY 2024: The University of Toledo’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs recently announced its University Research Funding Opportunities awards for Spring 2024. The following CAL faculty members were awarded research awards and fellowships for the following projects:

Cin Cin Tan (Department of Psychology) "The Role of Repetitive Exposure in Modifying Food Acceptance Among Emerging Adults: A Study of Picky Eaters."

Jami Taylor (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) “Public Opinion on Transgender Rights 2015-2024."

Joey Kim (Department of English Language and Literature) “The Racialized Woman in Romanticism.”

Deborah Orloff (Department of Art) "Elusive Memory: Lost Histories."

Congratulations

MAY 2024: Kim Nielsen (Disability Studies Program) a prominent historian of U.S. women and disability, was invited to attend a White House event in May celebrating President Biden’s Executive Order on Recognizing and Honoring Women’s History. The executive order is intended to strengthen the National Park Service’s recognition of women’s history by increasing the representation of women’s history in sites across America and honoring the legacy and contributions of a diverse range of women and girls.

SUMMER 2024: Mysoon Rizk (Department of Art) was recently appointed to the board of the David Wojnarowicz Foundation in New York. The Foundation's mission is to preserve, advance and honor the legacy and life of David Wojnarowicz—his art, his writings, his fierce commitment to social justice and the cause of persons with HIV/AIDS.

For a complete list of recent CAL news and achievements, visit our website.

Media Appearances

WTOL 11 (Aug. 26, 2024) Candidates and Voters Getting Ready for Election

Sam Nelson (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) suggests voters focus on politics rather than polls in the weeks leading up to the presidential election in November.

WTOL 11 (Aug. 21, 2024) UToledo Professor Talks Impact of Obama's Speech

Sam Nelson (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) discusses how President Barack Obama could influence voters who supported him, and later President Donald Trump, through his speech at the Democratic National Convention. (A full list of recent election-related appearances by Sam Nelson can be found on our website.)

Today.com (Aug. 13, 2024) Is the Mothman real? The legend behind the mythical monster

Daniel Compora (Department of English Language and Literature) discusses the enduring stories surrounding one of the most prominent cryptids in the United States.

Rolling Stone (Aug. 6, 2024) The Long, Discriminatory History of ‘Sex Verification’ at the Olympics

Jami Taylor (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) discusses how the International Olympic Committee has evolved in its testing on sex and gender in female athletes.

New Scientist (Aug. 1, 2024) What is ‘Problematic Smartphone Use’ and Should We Worry About It?

Jon Elhai, a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Psychology, explains the meaning of problematic smartphone use.

WTOL-TV (July 14, 2024) Leading Edge | Rocket Networker, kids and podcasting

Tisha Mays (Department of Communication) was interviewed for a segment on podcasting on this local program.

CNBC (June 30, 2024) More Companies Are Staying Quiet During Pride, but Money is Still Flowing to LGBTQ+ Causes

Neil Reid (Department of Geography and Planning) discusses how last year’s conservative boycott of Bud Light may be making some companies more cautious in their marketing strategy during Pride Month.

The Washington Post (June 29, 2024) Texas Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

Jami Taylor (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) explains how a state ban on gender-affirming care for minors in Texas fits into a broader pattern of anti-transgender legislation that focuses on issues for which transgender people have less popular support.

WTOL 11 (June 17, 2024) Movies Being Filmed in Toledo

Holly Hey (Department of Theatre and Film) discusses the potential for local filmmakers to remain in northwest Ohio while pursuing their craft.

Thrillist (June 17, 2024) A Stranger Invited Me to Our Family’s Reunion

Angela Siner (Africana Studies Program and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology) talks about how newly freed Black Americans searched for lost relatives after emancipation, and the modern Black family reunion.

AARP (June 14, 2024) Juneteenth’s Meaning Takes New Shape 3 Years After Federal Recognition

Angela Siner (Africana Studies Program and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology) discusses how the observance of Juneteenth has changed over the course of history.

The Blade (June 14, 2024) Documentary Tells a Toledo Story From AIDS Epidemic

Holly Hey (Department of Theatre and Film) and Sue Carter, a retired UTMC social worker, talk about Hey's UToledo-produced film "Sister Eileen and Her Boyz, an HIV in the Rust Belt Story."

The Courier (June 13, 2024) DD Council Story Workshop Scheduled in Leipsic

Previews Rebecca Monteleone's (Disability Studies Program) storytelling workshop with the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council on June 20.

Newsday (June 7, 2024) Blakeman Bill: Bar Transgender Women From Girls’ and Women’s Sports on Nassau County Property

Jami Taylor (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) comments on the latest attempt by an executive in Nassau County, New York, to bar transgender women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports on county property.

StageDoor Podcast (May 25, 2024) University of Toledo Department of Theatre and Film

Matt Foss (Department of Theatre and Film) was the guest of this theatre podcast. Matt shared thoughts on his career, talked about the great things happening in the department, and gave highlights of the upcoming UToledo theatre season.

Toledo Blade (May 12, 2024) Toledo mom post blogs about children, challenges

Sharon Barnes (Women's and Gender Studies) discusses the community support that parents can find in parenting-focused blogs.

WTOL 11 (May 9, 2024) UToledo Professor Retires After 40 Years

David Jex (Department of Music) and current and former music students reflect on the impact Jex made during his lengthy career at The University of Toledo.

For more faculty media appearances, visit our website.

UTOLEDO COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS