Organizers of the Holi Toledo celebration at The University of Toledo have canceled the event this afternoon due to the weather.

Holi Toledo, an all-campus celebration of the Indian holiday Holi, was scheduled to take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 27 on the grounds outside Memorial Field House on Main Campus.

This year’s event had already been postponed once. Last week, thunderstorms forced organizers to push the event back to today. 

With finals next week, there is no plan to reschedule the event this semester.

The annual event features students throwing colored powder, as well as music, dancing and a T-shirt giveaway sponsored by the Center for International Studies and Programs.

“Holi is a popular springtime festival that is celebrated with great fanfare in India,” said Dr. Yonatan Miller, director of the Center for Religious Understanding. “It is a colorful celebration — both cultural and religious — of the change of seasons and the triumph of good over evil. And, significantly, it is also a time when, at least for one day, all people are considered equals; the usual social hierarchy is suspended.”

Holi Toledo was the brainchild of Dr. Jeanine Diller, former director of the Center for Religious Understanding. The event, which draws on the festivity, color and seasonal meaning of the holiday, has the blessing of the Hindu Temple of Toledo.

“Holi Toledo also serves a more immediate purpose here in the UT community, which is to highlight our diversity, promote unity, and foster improved understanding of the religions represented on campus,” Miller said.

More than 70 projects will be on display Friday during The University of Toledo’s Undergraduate Research and Senior Design Engineering Project Exposition.

Projects include an aromatic alarm clock, a motion-activated vacuum pump for lower limb prosthetics, and an Internet-enabled, smart-mirror medicine cabinet.

The College of Engineering event, which is free and open to the public, is from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, April 28 on the first floor of Nitschke Hall.

The exposition showcases projects created by more than 250 graduating seniors from the departments of Bioengineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Engineering Technology; and Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.

Projects are the required senior design capstone project where students form business-consulting units to develop a solution for a client’s technical or business challenge. Businesses, industries and federal agencies sponsor these projects.

Several projects over the last few years have gone on to become patented. This semester, a team of bioengineering students plans to pursue a patent for its project called SpecuLIFT, which is being designed to reduce discomfort and residual pain during pelvic exams.

The University of Toledo invites the community to attend a colorful celebration of different cultures and religions.

Holi Toledo, an all-campus celebration of the Indian holiday Holi, will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 27 on the grounds outside Memorial Field House on Main Campus.

It is recommended that attendees wear clothes that can be stained from throwing colored powder. While the color is water-soluble, it is not guaranteed to wash out.

Along with throwing color, the event will feature music, dancing and a T-shirt giveaway sponsored by the Center for International Studies and Programs.

“Holi is a popular springtime festival that is celebrated with great fanfare in India,” said Dr. Yonatan Miller, director of the Center for Religious Understanding. “It is a colorful celebration — both cultural and religious — of the change of seasons and the triumph of good over evil. And, significantly, it is also a time when, at least for one day, all people are considered equals; the usual social hierarchy is suspended.”

During a typical Holi celebration, people smear each other with colors and colored water is thrown, drenching anyone and everyone. The festivals also include song, dance, food and drinks.

“To have Holi celebrated on campus is such a beautiful sight to see,” said Hima Katrapati, a UT senior studying biology and finance, who is a native of Hyderabad, India. “There are so many people from different cultures who come out to celebrate ours and share memories with each other. Even though many people don’t know the meaning behind it, many people ask questions and try to gain the true meaning of Holi.”

Holi Toledo was the brainchild of Dr. Jeanine Diller, former director of the Center for Religious Understanding. The event, which draws on the festivity, color and seasonal meaning of the holiday, has the blessing of the Hindu Temple of Toledo.

“Holi Toledo also serves a more immediate purpose here in the UT community, which is to highlight our diversity, promote unity, and foster improved understanding of the religions represented on campus,” Miller said.

Miller said the peer learning experience unique to this event cultivates religious understanding.

“In order to obtain packs of color to throw periodically during the event, participants must first approach tables staffed by the myriad of UT’s religious and cultural student organizations and ask a question, start a conversation, or have a meaningful interaction,” Miller said. “My students know that as a teacher, I am always looking for ways to get them talking, and the incentive of the color packs is a fun way for us to jump-start conversations and create the foundations for longer term dialogue.

“My hope is that the interactions that students have with their peers serve to improve their religious literacy, and, as a consequence, their understanding of the religious ‘other.’ This is one of the outcomes that I, as a professor of religion, seek in the classroom, in the context of formal education. To do this in a fun, informal and social environment is a nice complement to the more formal manner in which religion is usually approached in a university context.”

Thursday, April 27, 2017

University Hall Room 3580

11:30 a.m. Nominating Committee Meeting

Alan H. Barry and his wife, Karen A. Barry, have given their alma mater a $1 million gift to establish an endowment that supports the Alan H. and Karen A. Barry Endowed Professorship in Accounting at The University of Toledo.

The Barrys announced the gift at their home in Scottsdale, Ariz., April 21 at an alumni event for the Phoenix Chapter of the UT Alumni Association. University President Sharon L. Gaber attended the event in Scottsdale as the alumni chapter’s invited speaker.

Karen A. Barry, left, and her husband, Alan H. Barry, signed an agreement April 21 with UT President Sharon L. Gaber to establish an endowed professorship in accounting at the University.

“UT’s College of Business and Innovation has benefited greatly from the generosity of Alan and Karen Barry through their many gifts, which have supported both the Management and Accounting departments,” Gaber said. “Their donations have helped our business faculty prepare UT students to enter the accounting and management professions with all of the necessary critical-thinking skills and core business principles to succeed as leaders in today’s competitive marketplace.

“This newest gift from Alan and Karen Barry to endow a professorship adds another level of support, ensuring that our students are receiving the best possible education in accounting, and that our faculty have the resources they need to deliver an education of excellence,” she said. “The University is deeply grateful for Alan and Karen Barry’s generous gift and all that they do to support UT students.”

The Alan H. and Karen A. Barry Endowed Professorship in Accounting will be used to recruit or retain a professor in the Department of Accounting; any costs related to the recruitment of a faculty member; bridge or pilot research projects; faculty and staff development costs; curriculum development; the development of a fellowship program; and specialized equipment needed for teaching.

“We are ecstatic that Alan and Karen have made such a tremendously generous gift to establish the endowed professorship in accounting in the College of Business,” said Dr. Gary Insch, dean of the College of Business and Innovation. “Their action will benefit countless students for years to come and further elevate the College of Business and Innovation’s reputation. Alan shows how much he truly cares about our students by frequently coming to campus when he is in town, and taking the time to meet and talk with business students, answering their real-life questions, and being a true mentor to them. We cannot thank Alan and Karen enough for their kindness, generosity and support.”

Alan Barry, who is a certified public accountant and the retired president and chief operating officer of the Fortune 200 company Masco Corp., said giving back to UT students is a pleasure.

“The accounting background I got at the University was beneficial to me throughout my career,” Barry said. “I’ve always been a supporter of the University, and once I was in a position to do so financially, I felt pretty good about giving back to the University that gave me the opportunity to succeed.”

He joined Brass Craft Manufacturing Co. in 1972 as controller and became president of that Masco division in 1988. In 1996, he became a group president of Masco, a manufacturer of home improvement and building products. He has broad business experience that includes finance, manufacturing, customer development, acquisitions and general operating management.

He serves on the board of directors of the H.W. Kaufman Financial Group. He is a retired director of Arch Aluminum & Glass Co. Inc., Scotts Miracle Gro Co., Flint Inc., and IPS Corp. He also served as an executive board member of the Plumbing Manufacturing Institute from 1985 through 2000, and as chairman of the institute in 1994. In addition, Barry served on the executive board of the associate member division of the American Supply Association during 1995 and 1996.

The Barrys have a history of philanthropy at The University of Toledo. In 2014, the University named a new accounting lab in the College of Business and Innovation for Alan Barry. At the time the lab was established, it was the first one nationwide to have a certified management accountant license, in which students could access for free the review material from Wiley, a leading provider of educational programs for professionals and students who are preparing for the certified management accountant exam.

The lab also serves as the location of the free income tax preparation assistance the College of Business and Innovation provides annually to qualified, low- to moderate-income individuals and families in the Toledo area during the spring income tax filing season.

“I am truly grateful for Karen and Alan Barry for their continuous support to the accounting students,” Dr. Hassan HassabElnaby, professor and chair of the UT Department of Accounting, said. “It’s only through people like Karen and Alan that we are able to provide the high-quality education we offer at the UT College of Business and Innovation. It has been my privilege to see Alan as a guest speaker in the classrooms, meeting and advising accounting students, supporting their development through the state-of-the art Alan Barry Accounting Lab and the $1 million gift.”

The Barrys also endowed the Alan and Karen Barry Scholarship Fund, which provides support for full-time UT business accounting students, based on both merit and needs. Alan Barry, a native of Toledo, is an active UT Alumni Association Phoenix Chapter member, as well as an active member in UT’s Blue Key organization. He also serves on the UT Foundation Board of Trustees.

The couple’s interest in supporting accounting students through financing scholarships, the accounting lab and the endowed professorship grew out of a nostalgic return to campus.

“I was invited back to the University about 15 or so years ago,” Barry said. “I hadn’t been on the campus for a long time, and I guess I kind of fell in love with the place for the second time.”

The Barrys have been supportive donors ever since.

Alan received a business degree in 1966, and Karen graduated in 1964 with an associate degree.

The Department of Accounting is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International. This prestigious accreditation places the department among the top 2 percent of accounting departments worldwide.

The solar eclipse set to occur this summer will be prominently featured at the sixth annual Astronomy Day celebration hosted by The University of Toledo.

The free, public event, which starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 29 in UT Ritter Planetarium, includes hands-on, family-friendly activities for kids, UT astronomers sharing their latest research, shows in the planetarium and a chance to look through the largest optical telescope in the Midwest.

“Astronomy Day is a special event for us each year,” said Alex Mak, UT associate planetarium director. “It is one of the ways we give back to the community for the tremendous support they give us year after year. It also is an opportunity to invite young people to campus to learn about our solar system.”

Programs and activities include:

• The planetarium show “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” at 1 p.m. followed immediately by Moon Adventure, a hands-on education experience that includes making craters and exploring the “moon” with binoculars;
• A discussion at 5 p.m. about the solar eclipse that will occur August 21 and be visible from Toledo;
• The Fulldome Festival at 6 p.m., which includes a presentation of three programs along with a live tour of the night-sky and a look at the Discovery Channel Telescope;
• A session for adults called Research Talks at 8 p.m. to learn about the cutting-edge research that UT faculty and students are involved in, while younger guests enjoy episodes of “The Zula Patrol” in the planetarium; and
• An open house to tour Ritter Observatory at 9 p.m. Weather-permitting, guests will get the chance to look through UT’s one-meter telescope, the largest optical telescope in the Midwest.

Members of the Toledo Astronomical Association will be available to answer questions about telescopes and provide solar observing, weather permitting.

The U.S. Department of Justice awarded The University of Toledo approximately $10,000 worth of training and curriculum to participate in the Healthy Masculinity Campus Athletics Project.

UT is one of 14 colleges and universities across the country chosen for the initiative through the Office on Violence Against Women to positively engage male college athletes, coaches and athletic administrators as influential leaders in the prevention of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking on college campuses and in their surrounding communities.

UT will send three representatives to an intensive three-day training at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., in July. The representatives will be from the UT Athletics Department and the UT Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness. Upon their return to campus, they will implement the curriculum through programming and practice.

“This is a great opportunity to further enhance our training and resources for our student-athletes so they can play a strong leading role in fostering a healthy, safe campus,” said Mike O’Brien, UT vice president and athletic director. “UT Athletics continues to support sexual assault education and prevention. We work with UT’s Title IX Office and Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness to train our coaches, staff and student-athletes on an ongoing basis. We are very excited about this collaboration and what the new grant means for our student-athletes and entire University.”

“College athletes and coaches across the country are uniquely positioned to play a key role in creating a safer campus climate,” Dr. Kasey Tucker-Gail, associate professor of criminal justice and director of the UT Center for Student Advocacy and Wellness, said. “They can use their visibility to promote healthy relationships and advocate against sexual violence. We are honored to work with the Athletics Department and value their continued support.”

The 13 other colleges participating in the program are Wheaton College; St. Johns University; Utah State University; Juniata College; Upper Iowa University; Loyola University; College of Mt. Saint Vincent; Goucher College; University of Idaho; Doane University; Georgian Court University; North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; and The College of New Jersey.

As Earth Day 2017 approaches, The University of Toledo is hosting a series of events to connect with science enthusiasts and interested citizens of all ages about the vital role science plays in our lives.

The Northwestern Ohio Chapter of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) is co-sponsoring the March for Science in downtown Toledo along with Imagination Station this weekend to correspond with the national March for Science in Washington, D.C., in celebration of science’s contributions to society.

“Our love of science has led us to advocate for using scientific evidence to help guide public policies,” said Dr. Susanne Nonekowski, associate lecturer in the UT Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry and president of the AWIS Northwestern Ohio Chapter. “The mission of the march is to share and highlight the contributions of science and to inspire future generations to uphold the values of curiosity, free speech, free inquiry and critical thinking.”

The March for Science rally in Toledo begins 10 a.m. Saturday, April 22 at International Park. The march starts at 11 a.m. Participants will walk together across the Martin Luther King Bridge and end at Imagination Station. Interactive activities, which include UT student groups presenting Asian carp, algal bloom, physics, astronomy and chemistry research, start at 11:30 a.m. at tables outside Imagination Station.

Speakers at the 10 a.m. rally include Dr. Tom E. Brady, Founder of Plastic Technologies, Inc. and sponsor of the Brady Engineering Innovation Center at UT, and Nick Dulaney, a junior studying physics at UT who recently helped discover a new star and is the lead author in a published research paper regarding the discovery.

Several UT scientists are traveling to Washington, D.C., this weekend to participate in the national March for Science, including bird expert Henry Streby, UT assistant professor and ornithologist.

“This is a critical time for science in our country and around the world,” Streby said. “Ignoring or belittling science comes at a high cost to our society and our planet in the long run.”

UT will hold its 17th annual Earth Fest Tuesday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Centennial Mall.

The event, which is run by student organizations including Building Ohio’s Sustainable Energy Future and the Society of Environmental Education, will focus on practicing sustainable habits and protecting the soil, water and air. Activities will include a bag and bottle swap, spring plant fair, giant Jenga, solar-powered boat races, a wind turbine, and prizes of Chipotle gift cards.

The UT Lake Erie Center is hosting an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20. The public is invited to experience live demonstrations, tours of the facility and a scientific poster show to learn about the wide variety of algal bloom and invasive species research being done by UT scientists. The UT Lake Erie Center is located at 6200 Bayshore Road, Oregon, OH.

“Water quality research at the Lake Erie Center is currently focused on the effects of excess nutrient runoff into the western basin of Lake Erie,” said Dr. Tim Fisher, geology professor, chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and interim director of the Lake Erie Center. “The excessive nutrients foster algae growth, some of which is toxic and known as harmful algal blooms, which is being studied by Dr. Tom Bridgeman. Dr. Daryl Dwyer’s lab works with a variety of agencies to engineer and build wetlands to remove excessive nutrients before reaching the lake.”

The UT College of Engineering will feature its Senior Design Expo from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, April 28 on the first floor of Nitschke Hall. Seniors in engineering will be displaying and demonstrating their senior design projects.

The next Saturday Morning Science program will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 29 in Memorial Field House Room 2100 on UT Main Campus and feature the topic, “From the Stone Age to Today: Why Do Humans Love Music?” The free event is open to the public.

The Saturday Morning Science lecture series at UT presented by the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics features presentations on a broad range of topics in science and technology.

The University of Toledo’s strategic planning committee has completed its nearly final draft of the University’s strategic plan.

UT is seeking input from the community one last time before finalizing the plan. Included in this plan also is a revised version of the University’s mission, vision and values statements.

The plan was developed after conducting multiple information and input sessions with faculty, staff, students and the public earlier this year. Revisions occurred after each set of sessions.

Stakeholders are invited to review and comment on the revised draft of the strategic plan during a two-week public comment period, which runs April 17-28. The plan is available at utoledo.edu/strategicplan.

The final version is expected to be presented to the UT Board of Trustees at its meeting in June.

In response to requests from University of Toledo students, Steak ‘n Shake will be opening Tuesday on Main Campus.

A ribbon-cutting for Steak ‘n Shake will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 18 in the Thompson Student Union.

“We are excited to expand dining choices for students through our partnership with Aramark,” Dr. Kaye M. Patten, senior vice president for student affairs, said. “Our students have asked for national restaurant chains, and we are proud to welcome this one to campus.”

Freshens also opened last month on UT’s engineering campus.

UT will give away t-shirts to the first 10 Steak ‘n Shake customers on Tuesday. Plus, the first 200 people will receive a coupon for a 20-percent discount on their next order.

After Tuesday’s grand opening, Steak ‘n Shake will be open Monday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.