A nationally renowned leader will address The University of Toledo graduates at the fall commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 20 in Savage Arena at 10 a.m.

Mike Thaman, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Owens Corning, will address the graduates from the colleges of Health Sciences, Adult and Lifelong Learning, Social Justice and Human Services, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Business and Innovation, Communication and the Arts, Languages, Literature and Social Sciences and the Judith Herb College of Education.

“Mike Thaman’s vision and leadership are truly aligned with the University’s commitment to best equip our students with the knowledge and guidance that will help them succeed,” said Dr. Nagi Naganathan, interim president.

There are 2,252 candidates for degrees including 113 doctoral candidates, 594 master’s candidates and 1,461 bachelor’s candidates. The remaining 84 candidates are for education specialist, graduate certificates or associate’s degrees. The ceremony will be broadcast live on video.utoledo.edu.

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. in Savage Arena.

Thaman has held positions in manufacturing, corporate development and international business since joining Owens Corning, a world leader in building materials and composite systems, in 1992.

He has held numerous positions including vice president and president of the Engineered Pipe Systems business, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium; vice president and president of Owen’s Corning’s Exterior Systems Business; and senior vice president and chief financial officer.

A longtime corporate strategist and leader, Thaman emphasizes a human-emphasized approach in helping American businesses thrive.

When he accepted a company leadership award from the National Safety Council earlier this year, he focused on the human-rights aspect of company safety. “For more than 75 years, Owens Corning has understood the importance of having engaged, productive employees who arrive home to their families and friends, without incident, the same way they left.”

Prior to joining Owens Corning, Thaman spent six years as a strategy consultant at Mercer Management Consulting, where he was a vice president in the New York office. He serves as director of Florida Power & Light Co., Owens Corning Fabricating Solutions and Advanced Glassfiber Yarns LLC. For NextEra Energy Inc., Thaman served as an independent director for more than 10 years and as its lead director until this year. He served as a director of AGY Holding Corp., and as director of Florida Power & Light Group, Inc.

Thaman earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University.

Other commencement ceremonies taking place include:

• College of Engineering: graduate commencement 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18; undergraduate commencement 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. Both ceremonies held in Nitschke Auditorium.
• College of Nursing: 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 in Nitschke Auditorium.

For more information, visit utoledo.edu/commencement.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Dec. 13, 2014)
The Blade (Dec. 21, 2014)

Tags: College of Adult and Lifelong Learning, College of Business and Innovation, College of Communication and the Arts, College of Health Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Judith Herb College of Education