Sincerest thanks to the many alumni, faculty, staff, friends, families, and students who contributed to this year’s Day of Giving Campaign! Your support advances the success of our mission. Funds raised on Day of Giving will support scholarships, exciting co-curricular experiences for students, and other innovative initiatives. 

In April, the Department of Theatre and Film will offer a charming and irreverent take on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" as a jukebox musical. According to award-winning Theatre professor Matt Foss, who adapted the play, the show will take a “precise, rigorous approach to the text and verse with explosive imaginations around what Shakespeare could and can be.”

As part of the Theatre department’s “theatre for all” mission, which also drove the recent installation of the theatre’s new captioning system, the cast of this production includes multiple actors with disabilities. Rebecca Monteleone, a professor of disability studies and co-director of the show, says this cast “challenges our audiences to reimagine who can be an actor and what a performance can look like...Different experiences, different bodies, different minds open us up to create more interesting, unique, and meaningful art.” 

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Jukebox Musical" runs April 10-19.

Visit utoledo.tix.com for tickets to this unique and inclusive production!

Tisha Mays (Department of Communication) took on several speaking engagements in honor of Black History Month. She was asked to be the Keynote for Sylvania Northview High School’s Inaugural Black History program. "I spoke about the importance of using digital media for the greater good. Not only are we the consumers, but also the creators. I enjoyed connecting with students afterward about their career goals and interests." 

Mays was also part of a panel of community leaders in a discussion presented by the Toledo Rotary Club, titled "Lifting Black Voices." There, she reflected on her community efforts and encouraged those attending to create opportunities through mentorship and internships.

As the education chair for the local chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), she presented the student awards at the group's annual ADDY Awards. Also attending were staff Eleanor Kostecki and Jess Delaney, and students Adam Stormer, Nathan Snook, Kurtis Horvath (President of PRSSA) and Aliciana Martinez (VP of PRSSA), and December graduate, Crystal Smith, who was honored with the Most Promising Multicultural Student Award.

Pictured below at the 2025 Toledo AAF ADDY Awards: Aliciana Martinez, Kurtis Horvath, Nathan Snook, Crystal Smith, Tisha Mays, and Adam Stormer.

A brave crowd battled frigid weather to turn out for a conversation heating up political conversation around the country these days - how politics is shaping American constitutional law and how the courts influence partisan dynamics.

The speaker was Dr. Anthony Michael Kreis of Georgia State University's College of Law. His presentation challenged the idea of the Constitution as separate from political realities. Instead, he said, it reflects dominant ideologies, policy outcomes, and social movements.

Introducing the Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education!

The University of Toledo Board of Trustees approved the merger of the College of Arts and Letters and the Judith Herb College of Education. The new college will be effective July 1, 2025, bringing together under one college UToledo’s liberal arts general education, visual and performing arts, humanities, social sciences and education programs. The merged college will also be home to the Criminal Justice and Legal and Paralegal Studies programs currently housed within the College of Health and Human Services. Bringing these disciplines closer together will build on a long history of collaboration and shared curriculum to enhance UToledo’s degree program offerings.

Read more...

PUBLISHING/CREATIVE WORK

Revathy Kumar (Department of Educational Studies) published an article, "Cultivating anti-coloniality: A framework for building critical educational psychology" in Contemporary Educational Psychology, 80, 102338-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2025.102338. (March)

Meaningful Workforce Development - Congratulations to all the UToledo faculty who worked on this important curriculum development project, including Sujata Shetty (Department of Geography and Planning). Dr. Shetty is a professor of urban planning and design and director of UToledo's Urban Affairs Center. The project is a collaborative initiative to assess the academic degree programs, courses and certifications needed to equip workers for successful careers in the emerging hydrogen economy. https://www.utoledo.edu/.../facul.../deptfaculty/shetty.html (February)

Ben Myers (Department of Communication) published his book, "The New Department Chair: 100 Daily Reflections for Mindfully Designing Your Term." His book is designed to help chairs move beyond survival mode and lead with clarity and purpose. (February)

Professor Emerita Jamie Barlowe (Department of Women’s and Gender Studies) has published a research book with Routledge. The title is "Silent Film Adaptations of Novels by British and American Women Writers, 1903-1929: Viewer, I Married Him." (August 2024)

Eric Zeigler (Department of Art) led a mixer on how to make your research visually striking. Held in Phoenicia Cuisine in the Student Union, the event was attended by faculty and students from all over the University. (February)

AWARDS

Joni Mihura (Department of Psychology) is the 2025 recipient of the APA Division 12 (Sec. 9) Distinguished Contributions to Assessment Psychology award. The award is the highest honor in her field of assessment. The award recognizes Mihura's significant career achievements to further the science, teaching, and practice of psychological assessment. (February)

Dan Hernandez (Department of Art) has been awarded a 2025 Individual Excellence Award in the area of Painting from the Ohio Arts Council. He will also be the Toledo Museum of Art’s Community Digital Artist in Residence this year. In the residence program, he will be mentored by artist Emily Xie and work with the Museum staff to create a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) - one of which will be auctioned at Christie's. (February)

CONGRATULATIONS

Revathy Kumar (Department of Educational Studies) was awarded a $9,040 grant from the American Psychology Association (APA) Division 15, Educational Psychology via its Education Research in Response to Anti-DEI Movements Grant. (February)

For the 11th year in a row, the Department of Psychology clinical doctoral students had a 100% internship match rate! Each year there are more applicants than accredited spots, so the Match process is highly competitive. In addition, all of our applicants were matched with either their first or second choice of internship training program. This year’s applicants were matched with the following sites:

• Elena Canini – University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center; Albuquerque, NM
• Zach DeMoss – MEDVAMC; Houston, TX
• Lauren Kramer – Nationwide Children’s Hospital; Columbus, OH
• Ingrid Morales-Ramirez – Yale University School of Medicine – Psychiatry; New Haven, CT
• Teona Velehorschi – Georgia Southern University; Statesboro, GA

(February)

To see more faculty and student achievements, visit our website.

The Blade (March 2, 2025) 'No longer just naps and cookies': Kindergartners embrace STEMM learning

Kate Delaney (Department of Teacher Education) was quoted in an article about schools that incorporate STEMM programming at the kindergarten level.

NPR (March 2, 2025) Maine Faces Federal Investigation After Gov. Janet Mills Tells Trump, 'See You in Court'

Jami Taylor (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) discusses public opinion on trans-athletes in light of Maine Gov. Janet Mills' highly publicized exchange with President Donald Trump.

Maine Public (Feb. 26, 2025) Janet Mills’ Ascension to Leader of the Trump Resistance Was Years in the Making

Jami Taylor (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) discusses decreasing support for trans-athletes as a trend in both public perception and policy.

The Blade (Feb. 23, 2025) Artificial Assistance: AI Generates Simple Recipes

Jamie Ward (Department of Communication and Media) explains how artificial intelligence assembles recipes and discusses why AI is likely to get better at the task over time.

The Detroit Jewish News (Feb. 18, 2025) Hallie Bernstein

UToledo Disability Studies alumna, Hallie Bernstein ('22) was featured for her work with the City of Detroit in the Office of Disability Affairs. Over the past 2 years, she has helped connect Detroit residents with disabilities to city services, as well as raising disability awareness.

WTOL 11 (Feb. 18, 2025) Protestors Gather in Toledo

Sam Nelson (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) talks about the potential for more protests of the Trump administration.

13 ABC (Feb. 18, 2025) Art Tatum Memorial Concert

The UToledo Department of Music hosted jazz pianist Xavier Davis for the 2025 Art Tatum Memorial Concert.

Healthline (Feb. 17, 2025) Judges Block Executive Orders Targeting Trans People: What to Know

Jami Taylor (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) discusses the role of state-level policies in expanding or restricting transgender rights.

WTOL 11 (Feb. 17, 2025) Setting the Stage for Next Year's Election

Sam Nelson (Department of Political Science and Public Administration) discusses how the appointment of Jim Tressel as Ohio lieutenant governor leaves the gubernatorial race wide open in 2026.

The Blade (Feb. 16, 2025) Humans vs. AI in Creativity Topic of UToledo Lecture

A trio of UToledo faculty members - Ammon Allred, Ashley Pryor, and John Sarnecki (Philosophy and Religious Studies Program) - explore the relationship between human creativity and the increasing power of artificial intelligence at a lecture in Carlson Library.

The Blade (Feb. 11, 2025) Award-winning Poet and Author Phillip B. Williams to Visit UToledo

Phillip B. Williams, whose debut novel “Ours” won widespread praise, signed autographs and read excerpts from his book in McQuade Law Auditorium.

The Blade (Feb. 10, 2025) Strategic Health Plan Targets Obesity, Infant Mortality

Patricia Case (Department of Sociology and Anthropology) discusses the importance of ensuring access to prenatal care.

The Blade (Feb. 10, 2025) Media Panelists Discuss Importance of Storytelling in Amplifying the Black Experience

Tisha Mays (Department of Communication and Media) talks about the importance of giving the Black community a voice.

The Blade (Feb. 1, 2025) A look for the future: Toledo Museum of Art's rebrand continues to grab attention

Thor Mednick (Department of Art) discusses the TMA's collection changes.

The Black Studies Podcast (Jan. 31, 2025) Shingi Mavima - Department of History, University of Toledo

In recognition of Black History Month, and the discussion around the teaching of Black History, Shingi Mavima (Department of History) discusses teaching and studying Black History. 

See previous media appearances on our website.