U.S. News Ranks Online Graduate Engineering Program One of the Best for Veterans

With Memorial Day fast approaching, the College of Graduate Studies is happy to announce that The University of Toledo’s online M.S. in Engineering program was ranked one of the best online graduate engineering programs for veterans by U.S. New & World Report. The program came in second nationally.

To qualify for the ranking, schools and their programs needed to meet several criteria:

• Institution must:
• Be certified for the G.I. Bill
• Participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program
• Pledge to consider granting academic credit for military training
• Offer flexibility for distance learners taking courses at several schools
• Programs must:
• Be 100% online
• Be ranked in the broader U.S. News 2013 Best Online Education Programs rankings

The unique challenges that military service brings (moving from base to base, easing back into civilian life, etc.) make finishing a degree a difficult endeavor for some veterans and service members. The MS in Engineering program’s ranking shows the commitment UT has made to assisting veterans with that transition.

For more information on resources available to military veterans and service members, please visit the Military Service Center website.

Go Rockets!

Spring 2013 Award Recipients Announced

The College of Graduate Studies is delighted to announce the three 2013 graduate student award recipients who were recently recognized at the last Graduate Council meeting for AY 2012-13.

Robert R. Buell Memorial Achievement Award: Nneka Mbah

The Robert R. Buell Memorial Achievement Award is presented to a graduate student in any college who best exemplifies scholarly excellence in the physical and biological sciences, has maintained a genuine interest in the social sciences and humanities, and plans a career in education. This year’s recipient of the $1,000 award, Ms. Nneka Mbah, is a 2^nd year doctoral student in the Department of Biochemistry & Cancer Biology in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences. Her research with Dr. Bill Maltese seeks to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis by which a new class of drugs kills cancerous brain cells by “methuosis”, a non-conventional mechanism. Her long range plans center on returning to Nigeria to bring knowledge of biomedical research to her home country.

Helen M. Fields Memorial Achievement Award: Hasmik Chakaryan

The Helen M. Fields Memorial Achievement Award is presented to a graduate student with an excellent academic record in the field of English or Education. This year’s recipient of the $1,000 award, Ms. Hasmik Chakaryan, is a 3^rd year doctoral student in the Counselor Education & Supervision program.  She is advised by Dr. Nick Piazza and is an active social justice and human rights advocate. She has spent time in Mexico training the staff of eight orphanages in basic counseling skills, and has presented her research on aspects of mental health in Egypt, Armenia and the Ukraine.

Robert N. Whiteford Memorial Scholarship: Ateka Akbar Contractor

The Robert N. Whiteford Memorial Scholarship is presented to a graduate student to assist in research for their thesis, project, or dissertation and further the student’s professional development. This year’s recipient of the $400 scholarship, Ms. Ateka Akbar Contractor, is a 3^rd year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. Her research with Dr. Jon Elhai focuses on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with a particular focus on the link between PTSD and depression. She has studied patient populations that include the Ohio National Guard and trauma victims from India. She also has served as a teaching assistant in the Department of Psychology.

These students, and the other many nominees, are to be congratulated for their pursuit of excellence in their research endeavors.

Go Rockets!

UT Graduate Students –International Recognition

Graduate students from UT doctoral and master’s programs regularly present their research at national and international conferences and garner awards. Two recent examples are highlighted this week. 

English Master’s Students Present at International Conference

Six M.A. students from the UT English graduate program recently traveled to San Jose State University (California) to present their research at a conference entitled “Steinbeck and the Politics of Crisis: Ethics, Society and Ecology” that focused on John Steinbeck -the American writer and Pulitzer and Nobel prize winner- for his body of work that included Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men.

Steinbeck Center director Nick Taylor told UT News, “We had paper proposals from all over the world, so the students were competing with scholars from India, Japan, Europe. One of our goals with this conference was to regenerate the ranks of Steinbeck scholarship, and thanks to [Dr.] Tom Barden, [UT Professor of English,] we are well on our way.”

Congratulations to the students presenting at the conference: Laura Delucia, Zachary Fishel, David Hartwig, Felicia Preece, Jamie Renda and Juliana Restivo.  

Environmental Sciences Ph.D. Candidate Awarded Great Lakes Scholarship

The International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) recently awarded an IAGLR Scholarship to Carson Prichard, a UT Environmental Sciences doctoral student. This award is one of two IAGLR scholarships given to two promising Ph.D. students whose dissertation research is likely to make a significant contribution to the understanding of the Great Lakes. Mr. Prichard’s project on Environmental DNA detection and quantification: a new test for Great Lakes native and high-risk invasive fish species has earned him a $2,000 scholarship and a one-year membership in IAGLR. He will be recognized in June at the 56^th annual Conference on Great Lakes Research in West Lafayette, Indiana. Congratulations to Carson on this recognition!

The College of Graduate Studies is proud of the achievements of these and other graduate students who actively engage in the scholarship of their discipline by participating at national and international meetings.

Go Rockets!

Department of Kinesiology Graduate Student Symposium

The Department of Kinesiology at The University of Toledo will be holding a Graduate Student Symposium on Friday, April 26, 2013 in the Health Science & Human Services Building (Multipurpose Room 1711) on UT’s Main Campus. The symposium is an annual event designed to facilitate the dissemination of current research activities within the discipline of Kinesiology, while acknowledging the efforts of our students, and future professionals within the field.

The symposium will feature seven different oral presentations and nine different poster presentations on a variety of topics. The symposium presentations will be followed by lunch and awards, and will conclude with a keynote address by Dr. Tim Butterfield, ATC. Dr. Butterfield is an Assistant Professor at The University of Kentucky whose research area is muscle mechanics (specifically strain-induced muscle injury and the plasticity of skeletal muscle). Dr. Butterfield’s keynote address is titled: “From hare to allometry: can massage accelerate recovery of function in strain-damaged muscle?”

A full list of oral and poster presentation topics, along with abstracts for each presentation, may be found in the “News and Happenings” section of the College of Graduate Studies website.

Go Rockets!

Interested in More Information About Graduate Education?

The College of Graduate Studies will have an information table at the College of Business & Innovation’s Spring Picnic this Monday, April 22^nd from 11:00am-1:30pm. Graduate admissions representatives will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about graduate education, the application process, and what you will need to apply. We will also have contact information for the various graduate programs UT has to offer. Food is provided by the College of Business & Innovation.

Did you know that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs requiring master’s degrees will grow by 18% from 2008 to 2018, or that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a doctorate can represent an increase in lifetime earnings of up to 45%? It is never too early to start considering graduate school, and we are happy to provide you with the knowledge you need to make an informed decision.

If you are unable to make it to the picnic, but would like more information on graduate studies, please contact Corey Sampsel, Graduate Orientation & Enrollment Specialist with questions. He may be reached via email at Corey.Sampsel@utoledo.edu.

Go Rockets!

UT Graduate Student Accomplishments Showcased

Master of Music Performance

On the weekend of March 15-17, University of Toledo MMP (Masters in Music Performance) students Sasha Noori and Molly Bock delighted audiences with the principal roles in the UT Opera Ensemble production of L’Orfeo by Monteverdi. The production also included UT master’s student Brad Lieto in a featured role. The sold-out performances took place at the Toledo Museum of Art.

March 24^th brought another star performance by UT MMP students, Nathaneal Leonard and Christina Montri. Leonard and Montri were featured in the Great Gallery Concert at the Toledo Museum of Art. The concert showcased the students of Professor Michael Boyd in performances of music for two pianos.

Ph.D. in Counselor Education

Chi Sigma Iota, the national honor society for counselor education, recently recognized UT doctoral student Jared Rose as one of ten Leadership Fellows in the nation. Mr. Rose was selected for his community service and leadership potential.

Master’s students in the Counselor Education program also recently won the American Counseling Association’s 2012 Graduate Students Ethics Competition. This marks the third time in the past four years that a UT team has placed first or second in the competition. This year’s team included Robin Dufresne, Jill Haar, Andy Intagliata, and Nicole Rybarczyk and was advised by Dr. Nick Piazza.

Master of Arts in English

Lindsay Vreeland, graduate student and teaching assistant in the Department of English Languages and Literature currently serves as the editor-in-chief of The Mill, UT’s literary journal. The Mill publishes poetry, short fiction, and art by UT students each academic semester.  In addition to Ms. Vreeland, the editorial board includes poetry editors Felicia Preece and Mary Persichilli, both graduate students in the English M. A. program.

The College of Graduate Studies would like to congratulate these students on their accomplishments.

Go Rockets!

UT Graduate Students Present at Campus Forums

LAMP Poster Presentations

Last week, University of Toledo graduate students in the Licensure Alternative Master’s Program (LAMP) in the Judith Herb College of Education presented their work to the UT community, Woodrow Wilson Foundation officers, and Ohio Board of Regents representatives at a poster session in Gillham Hall. Twenty-six master’s students, including the current Woodrow Wilson Fellows, presented their posters on STEM education highlighting their best practices about how they communicate math and science lessons to secondary school students in the classroom.

The LAMP program is designed specifically for students holding a bachelor’s degree in an area other than education. Students in this program bring content knowledge and the LAMP program helps them learn the skills they need to be effective teachers.

CBGS 2013 Graduate Research Forum

The Council of Biomedical Graduate Students (CBGS) recently held their annual research forum for graduate students in the College of Medicine & Life Sciences and the College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. This year, 52 students participated in the forum, sponsored by the UT College of Graduate Studies, Graduate Student Association, and the College of Pharmacy. The oral and poster presentations were reviewed by faculty judges over the two days of the forum.  There were 16 oral and 36 poster presenters and the winners went through 2-3 rounds of judging. Each winner below received a cash prize and certificate.

Oral Presentations

• 1st Place- Laura Halpin- Neurosciences, Fifth year MD/PhD Candidate (3rd year Graduate student)
• 2nd Place- Meghan Wyse, Biochemistry & Cancer Biology, Fourth Year Ph.D. student

            Posters

• 1st Place- Minal Mulye, IIT Fifth Year Ph.D. Student
• 2nd Place- David Leggat, IIT Fourth Year Ph.D. Student
• 3rd Place- Namrata Madan, CVMD Fourth Year Ph.D. Student

Congratulations to all the participating students!