Although the United States and China may seem distant in many ways, one very important thing both countries share is the value of higher education.

Last month, representatives from 15 institutions gathered at the Dana Conference Center on The University of Toledo Health Science Camps for the U.S.-China Symposium on Higher Education Research.

The purpose of the two-day conference was to enhance student learning through collaborative research between both countries. More than 20 researchers submitted proposals to be discussed during each of the nine symposium sessions.

Each presentation focused on areas of higher education in both countries, such as student development, comparative studies, assessment of student learning, faculty collaborations in a global environment, student exchanges, and institutional partnerships.

“The conference provided great opportunities for researchers from both countries to showcase their scholarly work and explore future opportunities of collaboration,” said Dr. Ron Opp, UT associate professor of higher education, who was symposium co-chair. “This is the first step to begin a broader exchange between the United States and China in higher education research.”

In addition to The University of Toledo, other U.S. institutions represented at the symposium included the Ohio Board of Regents, Bowling Green State University, Wright State University, Terra Community College, Owens Community College and Monroe County Community College.

Represented institutions from China included Xiamen University, Tongji University, Xiamen City University, Ningbo Polytechnic, and the Beijing Vocational College of Finance and Commerce.

This event was sponsored by UT and Xiamen University.

Once William Schmitt becomes Dr. William Schmitt in June, he will probably leave this area to fulfill his goals of practicing reconstructive and plastic surgery.

William Schmitt listened to the heart of a patient in Nicaragua as Dr. Anna Rohrbacher reviewed information.

Even after he’s gone, however, a spirit cultivated during four years of Schmitt’s training will remain in The University of Toledo Medical Center. It will spark every time a UT volunteer checks the heart rate of a child, prepares a patient for surgery, and dispenses medication for dengue fever in Leon, Nicaragua.

Schmitt, who earns his medical degree in June and has applied for residencies outside of northwest Ohio, has been honored as UT’s monthly Jefferson Awards “Champion” recipient for creating a medical mission program.

“Not only is Will committed to serving people, but his passion to serve is inspirational,” said Denise Oancea, faculty member in the College of Nursing. “He’ll be leaving us this year, but the tradition he’s started with the mission program will carry on.”

Schmitt’s dedication to service began with a somber realization.

“I had been asked for three examples of altruism on my medical school applications and was completely stumped,” he recalled. “I hadn’t done anything altruistic.”

Shortly after, he was accepted into medical school. The same week, he bought a one-way plane ticket to Nicaragua. The five months he spent there would set the tone for a program that, today, assists thousands of Nicaraguan patients.

“Being in Nicaragua was the most incredible experience,” Schmitt said. “When I came back, I knew I wanted to go on more of these trips and get other medical students involved. It would be a great chance to help people and promote a learning experience for the clinical participants.”

During Schmitt’s first year of medical school, he hosted fundraisers, recruited volunteers, and secured donations of supplies and equipment. With $8,000, he and a team of about 20 volunteers treated more than 1,000 patients during eight days in Leon.

As he continued the demanding curriculum of a medical student, the mission expanded. With $13,000 annually secured through numerous fundraisers, Schmitt and his team have returned to Nicaragua for three years to treat more than 3,000 indigent natives — some of whom haven’t seen physicians in months or even years. Their maladies include tropical illnesses, parasite infections, nutritional deficiencies and other, more common conditions, including surgical procedures performed in Nicaraguan facilities far different from the state-of-the-art technologies at UTMC.

“We practice in a hospital that has no air conditioning or sophisticated imaging equipment, such as CT scans or MRIs,” Schmitt said. “IV tubing is hung on sticks, and sometimes the electricity just goes off and you don’t know when it’s coming back on.”

Despite the rustic conditions, membership on Schmitt’s teams has increased.

“We’ve all grown very attached to the Nicaraguan people, and we can see how much of a need they have for medical care,” he said. “They’re very gracious, welcoming and so grateful for any help we can give.”

Oancea marvels at Schmitt’s dedication to the cause. “He’s done whatever he has to for the mission to continue,” she said, “even being the DJ at one of our fundraisers. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do as a physician. I have a feeling he’s one of those people we’re going to read about someday with all of the great things he’s going to do.”

UT Matters is a partnership with The Blade and Buckeye CableSystem to bring the community health science education and the latest news about how University of Toledo faculty, staff and students are changing Toledo and how the community can be a part of it.

Esther Fabian, director of health-care marketing at UT Medical Center, fought breast cancer and won.

This month’s UT Matters topic is increasing awareness about breast cancer and women’s health.

“In June, I found a lump. I do not have a family history of breast cancer, but I still got it,” said Esther Fabian, cancer survivor and director of health-care marketing at The University of Toledo Medical Center.

The American Cancer Society recommends women between the ages of 20 and 30 have a clinical breast exam at least every three years. When they reach age 40, women should have a clinical breast exam and mammogram every year.

“Every woman should seek a physician who listens to her concerns and is an advocate for her well-being,” said Dr. Donna Woodson, director of women’s health at UT Medical Center. “Her physician should be up-to-date in evidence-based medicine and testing interventions and should provide comprehensive care, not only for disease prevention, but for wellness promotion.”

There are many reasons patients get a higher degree of healing at UT Medical Center. “The availability of multiple specialists in one location offers a complete package for excellent, coordinated and gender-specific care for women of all ages,” Woodson said.

To learn more about comprehensive women’s health services at UT Medical Center, call 877.451.2299 or visit UTMatters.com.

Senior catcher Mica Sanchez read to children at Apple Tree Nursery School.

A sacrifice hit is a critical component to winning on the softball diamond.

The University of Toledo softball team is showing that it knows how to make sacrifices off the field as well.

The 22 players and three coaches take time out of their Friday mornings to volunteer at Apple Tree Nursery School on Main Campus. Children vary in age from infants to preschoolers, and it’s been a rewarding experience for both them and the team.

“At first, the kids were shy,” said senior utility player Lacey LeVier. “But once you’re around them for a few minutes, it wears off. They’re throwing balls at you, laughing, playing, giving things to you and telling you to pick them up. It makes you feel like you’re making a difference in their lives.”

“[The team] came on the playgrounds the first day and provided a tremendous amount of energy,” said Sherry Roush, Apple Tree director. “They were ready to run and play, and the children just loved it.”

Sophomore utility player Melissa Rons cheered on some finger painting during a visit to Apple Tree Nursery School.

The idea to volunteer at Apple Tree came from first-year Head Coach Tarrah Beyster, who approached Roush about it several weeks ago. Roush admitted to being overwhelmed at first with the prospect of having 25 volunteers, but it was something she wanted to try.

“It was a good overwhelmed because I have so many people that I don’t know what to do with them,” Roush said. “I want it to be a positive experience for everyone. Right now I’m enjoying the fact I can share them with the children.

“We want to show the children all of the choices they have in life. By turning on the television, they know men can be athletes, but they may not know women can be athletes, too,” Roush continued. “That’s what I really like about having the softball team coming. They identify themselves as athletes.”

The team was more than eager to participate in the program. The first week involved time on the playground, with kids chasing players and players chasing kids. With the weather starting to turn, activities have shifted indoors. The team splits up to work with the different age groups, taking turns reading to the kids, building blocks and painting.

“Giving our time to make the little kids happy — this is something they remember and enjoy,” said junior pitcher Trisha Rons. “It’s a great place and what they have going here is really special.”

“Everyone is so excited that we’re doing this,” LeVier added. “Most girls love babies. It’s exciting to work with the kids and cute to see them laughing and playing. I’ve seen this place so many times, and I always wondered what it took to work or help out here. It’s a good opportunity to have the whole team here, give back to the community, and help shape the kids’ future.”

Apple Tree Nursery School has been awarded a three-star rating by the state of Ohio and is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs.

The University of Toledo and Graytown Elementary in the Benton-Carroll-Salem School District have teamed up on a Make-A-Wish Foundation “Kids for Wish Kids” service project to benefit Jenna, a 17-year-old with leukemia, whose dream is to meet country superstar Carrie Underwood.

Graytown Elementary fifth-graders, from left, Tyler Bowlick, Donovan Damron and Holden Pelz, helped raise funds at the Oak Harbor-Genoa High School football game last month for Jenna, a 17-year-old with leukemia, for the Make-A-Wish Foundation “Kids for Wish Kids” service project.

UT alumnus Kyle O’Neill and his Graytown Elementary fifth-graders are collaborating with Dr. Judy Lambert, UT assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and her students, as well as honor students and members of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education. This is the second year that UT and Graytown have collaborated on a service project.

The elementary students have written letters to solicit donations for this year’s Make-A-Wish project. They also decorated collection bins, signs and posters as well as collected and charted their donations. The University students edited the letters on a collaborative Web site. Lambert also has visited Graytown to offer O’Neill’s students instruction on using spreadsheets to record and graph funds raised in the event.

Lambert’s purposes for her students are to:

• Collaborate with a local school to make learning in the college classroom more meaningful for pre-service teachers;

• Show pre-service teachers how a project such as Make-A-Wish can be used to teach the school curriculum;

• Provide pre-service teachers with an authentic example of how a local teacher and students use technology in the actual classroom; and

• Integrate service learning into a college course.

The Graytown students kicked off their service project at the Oak Harbor-Genoa High School football game Sept. 4 and continued their efforts when they set up a booth at the Oak Harbor Apple Festival last weekend. Their finale will be a slide show presentation assembly at Graytown later this month.

Additionally, Lambert’s class and O’Neill’s class are connecting via videoconferencing.

The fifth-graders working on this service project gain a meaningful learning experience that covers curriculum in language arts, math, social studies and technology, according to O’Neill, who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from UT in 2001 and 2005, respectively.

“This project goes far beyond just state standards and academic content, even though I can come up with no less than 50 fifth-grade standards that I can cover during this project,” O’Neill said. “The real benefit comes with showing the students the meaning of helping others and seeing, and hopefully meeting, who they are helping in the process.

“The collaboration with The University of Toledo is beneficial to both parties involved,” O’Neill continued. “My students are able to use technology to communicate with students at UT and use them as a resource for their various assignments. On the other end, the UT education students are seeing technology used in the classroom and are able to be active participants in a project that is meaningful and differs from the typical classroom experience.”

Lambert added, “By extending learning experiences outside the classroom walls, we are making education more meaningful for pre-service teachers and students of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education. Through participation in this project, UT students connect with a local area classroom teacher and fifth-grade students and, as a result, they get a firsthand look at how curriculum standards can be achieved in a unique way — raising money for a worthy cause, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“As technology is used in the K-12 classroom as part of this project, pre-service teachers are given a context for their own learning in an educational technology course and are able to witness how technology can make student learning more exciting in the 21st century,” Lambert said.

Melissa Kimball, special event coordinator at Make-A-Wish of Northwest Ohio, said that they have granted nearly 1,200 wishes in 25 years. Additionally, a wish is granted every 40 minutes worldwide. The foundation’s mission is to “grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”

Kappa Delta Pi students will place collection bins around Gillham Hall on Main Campus. The project’s goal is to exceed last year’s fundraising total of more than $3,200. As of Wednesday, Oct. 7, the students have raised $2,125.

To learn more or to contribute, contact O’Neill at koneill@bcs.k12.oh.us or Lambert at judy.lambert@utoledo.edu.

To Jon Meacham, life is at once trying and fantastic. Flawed and perfect.

Jon Meacham chatted with Dr. Rosemary Haggett, Main Campus provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, right, as Dr. Nina McClelland, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, listened.

Meacham, who delivered the fifth lecture in the Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture Series, said the value of a liberal arts education is in how it helps us realize and understand that duality.

Comparing a liberal arts education to an E.B. White quote about democracy being the “dent in the high hat” and the “mustard on the hot dog,” Meacham said understanding this inherent contrast unlocks the human ability to learn from mistakes.

“I believe the liberal arts offer a kind of redemption from the sins and omissions of the past,” Meacham said. “It offers us a way of knowing and thinking so that perhaps we can right the wrongs and leave the world a little better place than we found it.”

As a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of former President Andrew Jackson, Meacham knows about the mistakes of the past. As editor of Newsweek magazine, he knows about the realities of the present. And from the issuance of the Magna Carta in 1215 all the way up to the election of Barack Obama in 2008, a common thread weaves it all together — individuals.

“The actions of individual men and women determine our course,” he said. Society doesn’t progress or advance, he noted, without the catalyst of individuals knowing and understanding how those before them have failed.

“The story of a man who was born a man and becomes a monument is more meaningful and instructive than the story of a man who was born a monument,” Meacham said.

Because a liberal arts education is the way individuals learn which mistakes, sins and omissions to correct, Meacham said, it’s important to spread the ability to obtain such opportunities as far and as wide as possible.

“The classical liberal arts education is in danger,” he said. “Families are looking anew at what they’re getting for their money and their time. But this cannot be allowed to become the exclusive providence of the already affluent.

“It’s about living a good life,” he added. “Not the good life.”

Meacham, who wrote the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography American Lion, spoke on Thursday, Sept. 24, in a full Student Union Auditorium.

He lost 35 pounds. He endured freezing temperatures. He sacrificed countless hours away from his family. He battled through sea waves and waves of jellyfish attacks. He waited patiently for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

John Muenzer swimming the English Channel.

And, in the end, John Muenzer proudly could say that he was one of the few to successfully swim across the English Channel.

“What Mount Everest is to climbers, the English Channel is to swimmers,” said the 1983 Toledo graduate who was inducted into the UT Hall of Fame in 1992 for his accomplishments in the pool.

“A lot of good swimmers can’t complete this type of swim,” he continued. “You can train for the distance, but you can’t train for the elements. The conditions are the ultimate test.”

For Muenzer, it had always been his goal to cross the English Channel. Many have tried, but few have succeeded. And though he was no stranger to long-distance swims — in 1983, he navigated across Lake Erie, starting in Point Pelee, Ontario, and reaching Cedar Point — crossing the English Channel proved an entirely new challenge.

“For one thing, there’s a big difference between being 47 years old and being 21,” he said and laughed.

John Muenzer raised his arms triumphantly on a beach in Wissant, France, after swimming the English Channel.

Muenzer, a native of Maumee who now resides in Elgin, Ill., first had to train his body to handle the swim. And that required dropping 35 pounds, as he went from 260 to 225 pounds in three months. That was the beginning of nearly a yearlong training regimen to prepare for the rigors of his swim.

The first step was a qualifying swim in Lake Michigan last October, in which he had to spend a minimum of six hours in water that was 59 degrees or colder. He was in the water for seven hours before calling it quits.

“I never had any cold-water training before,” said Muenzer, who began swimming as a sophomore in high school and eventually set seven school records at UT. “It was very painful, and I thought about quitting then.”

But he stuck with it, training for up to four hours per day — longer on weekends. In April, Muenzer swam 24 miles across Tampa Bay in conditions that called for a “gut check,” as he put it.

“It was a brutally hard swim,” he said. “It wasn’t just the mileage; it was the salt water, the waves, everything. But I felt confident after I completed it.”

Muenzer still had one last step to conclude his training — more cold-water swimming in Lake Michigan throughout May. He did two six-hour swims and an eight-hour swim in water temperatures that were in the mid-50s. By that point, “the cold didn’t really bother me at all,” he said.

Muenzer

The entire time he trained, Muenzer had great encouragement from his family and friends. “Without their support, I couldn’t have made the swim,” he said. “The physical part was easy. The tough part was missing family dinners and trying to balance my schedule, like taking the kids to practice. Most of my training started at 4 a.m. so that I could still be around my family as much as possible.”

Muenzer departed for Dover, England, July 9. When he arrived, he was surprised to see hundreds of swimmers there from around the world. Like Muenzer, they were all waiting for what would perhaps be their one shot at glory.

Unfortunately, many never even got that chance. Weather conditions were gruesome, with winds whipping and waves ranging from 6 to 10 feet, and most hopefuls had to return home without leaving the shore. Muenzer, too, feared his window of opportunity would close.

“I waited for nine days,” he said. “I only had a day and a half left before I had to go. Mentally, it was very, very tough, because I never knew if I would have a chance.”

Finally, the call came July 20; the weather had cleared enough for Muenzer to attempt a crossing. The opportunity he had waited more than 25 years for, that he had trained endlessly for a year for, was now upon him. There was, though, one little snag.

He had to swim at night.

“It was very intimidating to think about,” Muenzer said. “With no sun, not only is it pitch dark, but the water is freezing. Plus, the waves were still very high by the harbor — about 4 or 5 feet. I didn’t know if I could do it.”

But once he got to the beach, everything came together for Muenzer, and he dove into the water, escorted by a boat. Fighting against the waves, it took him an hour and a half to get through the coastline. Almost as soon as he cleared that obstacle, another one loomed.

“About the three-hour mark, I was stung on the forearm by a jellyfish,” he said. “Then I was stung again in the face.”

Muenzer estimated he was stung 10 times in two minutes before he stopped his swim completely. Muenzer yelled for the boat captain to shine his spotlight straight down at the water.

“I was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of jellyfish,” he said. “They covered the water. I thought my swim was over.”

Showing his resourcefulness, Muenzer used a broom pole from the boat to clear a path through the jellyfish, which took half an hour. That half-hour, though, ended up costing him three hours on his swim because of the changing currents, which pushed him away from his original destination and toward a beach in Wissant, France.

Finally, just before 11 a.m. July 21, Muenzer walked on shore at Wissant and raised his arms in triumph. It had taken 13 hours and 12 minutes, not to mention the numerous hardships along the way, but he had done it.

“It was an unbelievable experience,” he said. “There are mountain ridges overlooking the beach, and two German bunkers from World War II. It really put in perspective what others faced coming in to the beach.”

There wasn’t much time for Muenzer to celebrate. After his boat ride back to England, he had to head to the airport at 3:15 a.m. for his flight back home.

Though he said he has several more swims that he’d like to complete someday — such as the Straits of Magellan and Loch Ness — there’s not much left for an encore.

“My bucket list is empty,” he said. “The English Channel is the pinnacle, and nothing else can compare. Now I’m back to doing chores around the house.”

Welch

What’s the secret to a slim, sleek midsection or chiseled six-pack? For some, diet and exercise may seem like no match for those stubborn love handles, so plastic surgery may seem like the best answer. However, living a healthy lifestyle is a lot more effective and less expensive than plastic surgery, according to a UT assistant professor of surgery.

Armed with her medical knowledge and personal fitness experiences, Dr. Marlene Welch, plastic surgeon at The University of Toledo Medical Center, wrote to Oxygen Magazine, expressing her personal and professional opinion on diet, exercise and the correct use of plastic surgery.

After an Oxygen reporter interviewed Welch, the magazine featured her interview titled “Is Lipo for You?” in a special summer 2009 collector’s issue, which was completely dedicated to abdominal training for women.

In the article, Welch distinguishes between the women who could benefit from liposuction or other body-contouring surgery, and women who may need to change some of their habits to embrace a healthier lifestyle.

“I can’t help someone who needs to lose 30, 50 or 100 pounds,” Welch said. “That woman needs a good program of diet and exercise, not a plastic surgeon.”

Welch knows the difficulty of weight loss on a personal level; she lost 25 pounds of baby weight through smart nutritional choices and a steady exercise regimen. The experience adds to her credibility with patients.

As a busy mother and surgeon, Welch has found multiple solutions for eating healthy. “I cook on the weekends and pre-pack my meals into a cooler so that I have them ready to take to work,” Welch said. “If I’m too busy to cook, I stick to the soup and salad bar and grilled chicken sandwiches in the hospital cafeteria.”

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, liposuction is among one of the top five surgical cosmetic procedures performed each year, right after breast augmentation and nose reshaping. So what type of individual would benefit the most from plastic surgery?

According to Welch, some women with a constant, stable weight may be looking to change their body contour. “Liposuction is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgeries in the U.S.,” she said. “It helps to remove areas of fat that have not responded to diet and exercise.”

In addition to liposuction, Welch also performs a skin-eliminating procedure referred to as a tummy tuck. “Losing weight very quickly may contribute to a large amount of excess skin, so a slow and steady approach to fat loss is always your best bet,” she said. “Unfortunately, neither diet nor exercise can change the appearance of loose excess skin. A tummy tuck is the only option.”

Although it is her job to perform surgical procedures such as liposuction or tummy tucks, Welch’s main priority is promoting and improving the health of her patients, even if it means recommending a dietitian over surgery.

Jeff Johnson doesn’t believe that mistakes are fatal — unless we let fear of making them paralyze us.

Johnson

“In the midst of trying to do something different, don’t allow your mistakes and naivete destroy your leadership potential,” the award-winning BET journalist and political commentator told UT students last Tuesday when he was on Main Campus to share the official release of his first book, Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am.

As he admitted to the students who filled the Student Union room where he spoke, Johnson knows from mistakes; he’s made them, some while he was a UT student in the 1990s, serving as president of the Black Student Union (BSU) and Student Government.

“I was here on a track scholarship, more interested in majoring in kickin’ it, with a minor in hanging out,” he said.

BSU officers, though, saw leadership qualities in the fiery young man and pulled him into the organization that he eventually headed. The times and issues were volatile, perhaps never more so than when BSU invited the controversial Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam to campus.

“I didn’t realize how much that threatened people until I began to receive death threats at my home,” Johnson said. The University, however, was very supportive of BSU, and the event was a major success.

Another test of leadership for Johnson was when he and his fellow BSU officers led a march to the home of then-President Frank Horton to present a list of demands for campus changes. (Their initial mistake, Johnson admitted to the audience, was that when the 600-strong marchers initially arrived at Horton’s office, he wasn’t in: “We were passionate but not strategic.”)

With some cat-and-mouse, give-and-take, the students’ demands — including the creation of an Africana Studies Program — were ultimately addressed, he said. “We got gangster, but when the rubber met the road, we were willing to work with the University, sitting in committee meetings for over a year to make it happen.”

He told the intently listening students, “Right now you have the power to create real change if you are willing to work with the University to make it happen. What my experience as a first-year president of BSU taught me was that a bunch of people who had messed up before could still create fundamental change.

“We were no different than you. Don’t be so concerned with ‘Our funds have been cut, we don’t have the office space we used to have.’ Why so often does it seem that this generation feels helpless to change things around them?”

Johnson, whose activism and investigative journalism have taken him global (and netted him an award of excellence last year for BET’s “Life and Death in Darfur, Jeff Johnson Reports” series), added, “Had it not been for this university, none of the other things I’ve done would have happened.” He also publicly thanked his mother and aunt — “powerful, beautiful, intellectual women” — and,, among others, Dr. Rubin Patterson, UT professor of sociology and interim director of Africana Studies: “He was the first man outside my family who said, I see something in this young brother he doesn’t even know he has.”

Earlier in the day, Johnson spoke at one of Patterson’s classes about another topic close to his heart: renewable energy.

“The largest sector of manufacturing is going to be the production of green technologies,” he said. “This is a brand-new industry with limitless potential. It’s going to be connected with things [UT] is doing in science and research, but also connected with regular folks who are willing to go to their elected officials and say that this is important.

“We as a country have to be concerned about what our country is manufacturing. It might not be sexy, it might not seem interesting, but at the end of the day, it’s what will either save America’s economy or be something we lost. And for people of color and disenfranchised people, it’s even more important.”

Patterson, a longtime mentor, noted, “Having the students hear about career opportunities in those fields made a strong impression coming from Jeff. I may be taking some advantage of his celebrity and his passion.” Patterson initially contacted Johnson with an idea for creating scholarships in social justice and renewable energy, an idea the younger man embraced.

“The endowed Jeff Johnson Leadership and Service Scholarship will be established for students in Africana Studies, with a focus on environmental justice,” said Ellen Ingram, director of corporate and foundation relations. “The criteria are still being determined, but one will be leadership and involvement with UT community.”

“It’s groundbreaking to have an Africana Studies Department focusing on environmental justice and renewable energy,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if you will see that anywhere else in the country, and I thank Dr. Patterson for having thought to bring me into the discussion.”

Applications will be taken beginning in February. Funding opportunities exist; contact Patterson at 419.530.4953 or Ingram at 419.530.2646 for information.

UT Matters is a partnership with The Blade and Buckeye CableSystem to bring the community health science education and the latest news about how University of Toledo faculty, staff and students are changing Toledo and how the community can be a part of the effort.

Toledo quarterback Aaron Opelt read to students at Apple Tree Nursery School while running back DaJuane Collins waited for his turn. The summer visit by the UT seniors is featured in September’s UT Matters segment.

This month’s UT Matters topic is about the University’s athletics program.

Exhilarating moments in UT athletics have served as a unifying force throughout the region. With a rich history in several of the Rockets’ 16 NCAA Division I athletic programs, alumni, students and the community have long had reasons to celebrate UT men’s and women’s sporting accomplishments.

But it’s overall student-athlete development that UT is striving for, including academics.

“There is much more to the college experience than just on-field performance,” said Mike O’Brien, UT director of athletics. “We have high expectations of our coaches and staff to help our student-athletes excel in their academics.”

The University of Toledo Sports Medicine Program is an emerging player in medical coverage for the sports community.

“Our program is contracted with 17 local junior high schools and high schools to provide a wide range of knowledgeable and convenient medical assistance,” said Dr. Burton L. Rogers Jr., UT sports medicine liaison. “Our athletes have 24-hour VIP access to our sports medicine specialists via our sports medicine hotline.”

To make an appointment with a sports medicine specialist or for more information, call 419.262.1556.