The Gardner-McMaster Parkinson Center will hold an open house Friday, May 24, to give members of the Toledo community the opportunity to learn more about the clinic.

The open house will be from 3 to 6 p.m. in the new Medical Pavilion on the UT Health Science Campus and will include light refreshments and music. Residents of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan are invited to attend.

The nearly 6,000-square-foot facility is set to be one of the leading Parkinson centers in the nation due to its team-care approach working with physical and occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, pharmacists, neuropsychologists, and other health-care professionals who also are experts in Parkinson’s care

The Gardner-McMaster Parkinson Center is named in recognition of the generous donations from the family of Findlay businessman Philip Gardner, as well as the Harold and Helen McMaster Foundation. The Parkinson’s Foundation of Northwest Ohio also raised more than $160,000 to help offset the approximately $1.35 million in renovation costs.

Douglas

Douglas of Saginaw, Mich., qualified for the regionals with a personal best leap of 6.09 meters at the Toledo Invitational Track Meet May 3. This will be her first appearance at an NCAA regional event.

Douglas, who ranks 37th in the East region, recently finished in sixth place in the long jump at the 2013 Outdoor Mid-American Conference Championships with a jump of 5.69 meters. At the 2012 Outdoor MAC Championships, she landed in second place with a mark of 5.98 meters.

If Douglas finishes in the top 12 at regionals, she will qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet, which will take place Wednesday through Saturday, June 5-8, in Eugene, Ore.

Seven people lost their lives June 5, 2010, as a result of a tornado that ravaged the northwest Ohio region. The third annual Walter’s Family 5K race will be held to remember and honor those individuals.

The race, which is organized by the Walters family and Calvary Lutheran Church in Northwood, is named for Ryan, Mary and Hayden Walters, all members of the same family who were lost in the tornado.

The race will take place Saturday, June 8, at 8 a.m. at the Millbury Fire Station, 1911 Ayers Road in Millbury. Registration will start at 6:45 a.m.

“It’s a great way to show support and remember those who lost their lives,” said Mark Beck, quality management analyst at The University of Toledo Medical Center and director of this year’s race. “It’s a way for the family to also say thank you to the constant support from the community.”

Proceeds from the race will benefit the Ryan, Mary and Hayden Walters Scholarship at Owens Community College that was set up by members of the Walters family in 2011.

Race applications are available at Second Sole store at Levis Commons in Perrysburg and Calvary Lutheran Church, 1930 Bradner Road, Northwood.

The registration fees are:

• $15 — pre-registration without shirt;

• $20 — pre-registration with shirt (S, M, L);

• $23 — pre-registration with shirt (XXL, XXXL); and

• $20 — race day registration without shirt.

Door prizes also will be awarded at the race. Winners must be present and pre-registered to win.

For more information about the race, email markpbeck@yahoo.com.

The University of Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association (UTPPA) and The University of Toledo last week ratified a new three-year contract that will run through Dec. 31, 2015.

The UTPPA ratified the agreement May 12 by a 28-1 vote, and UT’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the deal at its May 13 meeting.

Included in the contract are:

• Wage increases of 1.5 percent, 0.5 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, over the duration of the contract;

• No health-care plan design changes and premium cost sharing equal to other staff bargaining units; and

• Increased work rule flexibility to meet the various and changing needs of the University and police officers.

Chuck Lehnert, vice president for administration, said the agreement was the most recent example of the UTPPA’s commitment to the University community.

“The University of Toledo is incredibly fortunate to have these men and women providing protection, education and security to members of the UT community,” Lehnert said. “It was clear even while UTPPA negotiated on behalf of its membership that it had students, faculty, staff and the public safety in mind.”

“This agreement is a public example of the special and collaborative relationship between UT and the UTPPA, and I think it demonstrates that by working together we can overcome any challenge in a manner that is satisfactory to us both,” said Officer Bryon Hansel, UTPPA president. “UTTPA would like to thank The University of Toledo Board of Trustees for working with us in reaching an agreement during these trying economic times.”

“We have seen all too often in recent years the critical role campus police forces across the nation have played in responding to emergencies and keeping students and universities safe,” said Jeff Newton, UT police chief and director of public safety.

“Our campus community looks to and trusts these officers they interact with on a day-to-day basis, and I think we were able to reach a successful outcome for the UTPPA and the University because of the trust and respect cultivated over time away from the bargaining table.”

All 37 UT police officers are sworn state of Ohio peace officers commissioned by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy.

Football Coach Matt Campbell and the Rockets

There will be a cash bar, and fans and supporters of the Rockets can sample craft beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres.

A live auction will feature several items, including a trip for two to games at Florida and Missouri, and field passes for games vs. Navy and Bowling Green.

Proceeds will benefit The University of Toledo Rocket Fuel Program.

Donation levels are $1,000 for a table (seating for 10 and event recognition)
, $150 for a couple
 and $100 for an individual. Donations are tax-deductible, except for $30 per person to cover costs.

Register online here.

For more information or to register by phone, call the UT Football Office at 419.530.3500.

Selfridge

The tournament was played at Ohio State’s par 71, 7,286-yard Scarlet Course.

Selfridge posted a three-over par 74 Saturday to finish at nine-over par 222 (77-71-74) in the 54-hole event. He notched two birdies and two bogeys on his first nine holes and was at one-over before double-bogeying his last hole of the day.

Hewas one of 75 players, including 13 teams and 10 individuals, taking part in the event. New Mexico, Auburn, South Carolina, UNLV and Texas Tech, as well as Virginia’s Denny McCarthy, advanced from the regional to the NCAA Championships in Atlanta.

Selfridge registered one of the best individual seasons in school history for the Rockets, earning first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors and leading the MAC with a 72.1 stroke average.

Dr. Ken Alexander, UT professor of pharmacy practice, has received the Ohio Pharmacists Association’s 2013 Bowl of Hygeia award for outstanding service to his community.

Dr. Ken Alexander received the Ohio Pharmacists Association’s 2013 Bowl of Hygeia award for outstanding community service from Cindy Arnett of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.

“I want to thank the Ohio Pharmacists Association and the nominating committee for selecting me to receive this award and Boehringer Ingelheim for sponsoring the award,” Alexander said. “I was speechless at the presentation ceremony and did not express my gratitude to all present. I would like to take this time to acknowledge all who were responsible in making this happen.”

“It is not out of the ordinary for pharmacists to be active in their communities, but Ken Alexander has clearly shown an unusually strong passion for service outside of his professional responsibilities,” said Ernest Boyd, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association. “His incredible community devotion to Toledo and southeast Michigan is an inspiration to all who know and work with him.”

Alexander’s outreach efforts have touched many in the Toledo and southeast Michigan communities for nearly 40 years.

He has served on the board of directors of his synagogue, B’nai Israel, and the school boards of St. Mary’s Parish in Monroe, Mich., and the Toledo Board of Jewish Education. In 2010, he became master of his local Masonic Lodge in Samaria, Mich., where he has raised funds for several causes.

Alexander is an Eagle Scout and has been active with Boy Scouts of America for more than 20 years. In addition, he has served as a science fair judge for several junior high and high schools, as well as the Southeast Michigan Science Fair.

He and his wife, Karen, have coached softball for various groups for several years. He also has volunteered at the Lucas County Hypertension Clinic and at a local methadone clinic.

Alexander received his pharmacy degrees from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, the University of Rhode Island and The University of Toledo, where he has been a faculty member since 1972.

At UT, he developed the master of science industrial pharmacy program in 1984, the bachelor of science in pharmaceutical science pharmaceutics option in 2002, and the bachelor of science in pharmaceutical science cosmetic science option in 2011. He is the coordinator for all three programs.

He has mentored more than 100 master of science graduate students over the past 30 years, and he has more than 200 publications to his credit.

Alexander has been a past chair of the Section of Teachers of Pharmaceutics in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, a past president of the Toledo Area Society of Hospital Pharmacists and the Toledo Academy of Pharmacy, as well as district representative to the Ohio State Pharmaceutical Association and president of the Ohio Pharmacists Association in 1992.

Established in 1879, the Ohio Pharmacists Association represents more than 4,000 pharmacists, pharmacy educators and pharmacy students throughout the state. Its mission is to unite the profession of pharmacy and encourage interprofessional relations, while promoting public health through education, discussion and legislation.

Huntington Bank will give $150,000 in funding for academic programming and scholarships to The University of Toledo as part of an expanded banking program it will offer on campus over the next five years.

Huntington is expanding its product and service offerings to students and employees who choose to become customers. The bank also has committed to making banking more convenient for the UT community by adding a full-service branch in the Student Union and additional ATMs on campus.

Additionally, Huntington will invest in the Gateway business district revitalization with a new branch at the corner of Dorr Street and Secor Road.

“Huntington is committed to ongoing investment in Toledo and all of northwest Ohio,” said Steve Steinour, chair, president and CEO of Huntington Bank. “We look forward to continuing to work with the University as it educates the next generation of leaders. We are especially pleased to contribute to the vitality and economic growth of the Gateway neighborhood through the construction of a new branch in its business district.”

“Huntington has always been a great community partner,” said UT President Lloyd Jacobs. “Our partnership will provide more students with the ability to earn a top-tier education, more convenience for students and staff, and it will increase our students’ knowledge of the way money works and how to use it responsibly. Our relationship with Huntington represents the kind of public-private partnership that communities need in order to grow.”

Huntington also has committed to financial literacy seminars and support for both students and employees.

Visit an Andersons store Tuesday, May 21, and you could walk away with more than groceries.

Dietitians from The University of Toledo Medical Center will make an appearance from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Andersons stores on Illinois Avenue in Maumee and on Talmadge Road in Toledo to provide nutritional information to shoppers.

This event is part of the Eat Healthy, Be Healthy campaign created through a partnership with UTMC and The Andersons. Every third Tuesday of the month, UTMC dietitians visit area Andersons stores to provide free samples of healthy foods, including yogurt, hummus and guacamole, and explain how these foods are good for the body.

This Tuesday the topic will be healthy fats versus unhealthy fats. Dietitians John Pantel and Kate Ormiston will talk to guests about how to determine what fats are healthy and necessary in their diets.

“For a long time some thought that low-fat diets might be a way to prevent heart disease, but most of the research actually shows that it’s not the fat that’s unhealthy, it’s the type of fat,” Pantel said.

The dietitians also take 20 minutes at the end of the hourlong session to give a tour of the store to show customers where to find nutritional foods, which is made easier by labels in the aisles marked with Eat Healthy, Be Healthy signs that point shoppers toward the healthiest options.

“It’s a great resource for the supermarkets and for the public to learn how to eat healthier and to shop more efficiently,” Pantel said.

The dietitians also teach guests how to properly read nutrition labels and compare foods.

“The importance is that people understand that it doesn’t cost a lot of money or time to eat healthy,” said Michelle Peterson, the wellness coordinator at UT Medical Center who also attends the events with the dietitians to answer questions.

In the future, UTMC physicians may attend sessions at the stores to teach customers about diseases like diabetes and obesity, which can be caused or exacerbated by eating unhealthy foods.

For more information, visit utmc.utoledo.edu/rocketwellness.

“Pescados #III” by Mike Sohikian is found south of the Snyder Memorial Building.

Mike Sohikian’s steel “Pescados #III,” Todd Kime’s 300-pound steel “Pulse,” and Pamela Reithmeier’s steel “Thought” are three of the nine new pieces installed for the eighth annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition.

Numerous entries were submitted for consideration to the Midwest Sculpture Initiative. The UT Campus Beautification Committee reviewed the submissions and selected the works that were installed earlier this month.

“This is the seventh consecutive year that the Campus Beautification Committee has sponsored the sculpture exhibition,” said Dr. Steven LeBlanc, executive associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Engineering and chair of the Campus Beautification Committee. “Nearly 70 pieces have rotated through the campus display over the years. Twelve of the pieces that were brought to campus as part of the rotating exhibit have ended up as part of our permanent artwork collection, either through purchase by campus benefactors, colleges or departments.

“We are very proud of the history of this exhibition and are pleased to focus our efforts on the continuing beautification of the UT campuses for the benefit of students, staff, faculty and prospective students alike.”

Other new pieces in this year’s exhibit:

• “Ensemble 1” and “Runway,” two welded corten steel figures that stand 13 feet tall by John Merigian, are in the mall area north of the Snyder Memorial Building.

• “Steel Inverted Arch” by Ken Thompson is east of the Student Recreation Center.

“Pulse” by Todd Kime is located east of Dowling Hall.

• “The Quest,” a 400-pound steel piece by Robert Garcia, can be found north of Ottawa House East and West.

• “Hope Eternal,” a cast polyester resin figure by Marie Davis, is located south of the Student Union and east of Carlson Library.

• “Refuge,” a 1,000-pound steel and cast bronze work by Nicholas Sikma, is located east of the Health and Human Services Building.

All artists received a stipend for their sculptures, which will be on display for the next year.

LeBlanc said the Campus Beautification Committee funds the exhibition through private donations.

“The motto of the committee is ‘The beauty of the campus is our gift to the future,’” he said.

Those who enjoy the artwork are asked to consider a donation to the Campus Beautification Fund through the UT Foundation.