Office of the Provost

Dr. Sarit Bhaduri
Professor of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
College of Engineering

Dr. Bhaduri received his undergraduate degree in physics at The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and his doctoral degree in materials science and engineering from Stony Brook University, State University of New York. He undertook post-doctoral training at Virginia Tech, served as a Senior Research Scientist and a Principal Research Scientist at Defense Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, India, before returning to the US. He has held faculty positions at the University of Cincinnati, University of Idaho, Washington State University and Clemson University, where he held the George Bishop, III Endowed Chair of Materials Science and Engineering, before moving to the University of Toledo in 2007. Dr. Bhaduri's research activities span both structural materials and biomaterials, including novel processing of high temperature ceramics and alloys. His major emphasis of research currently is in developing "Next Generation" biomaterials for orthopedic and dental applications. He is the co-founder of a UT spin-off company, OsteoNovus, Inc., and the principal inventor of a novel bone-graft substitute material that can grow new bone in six weeks and has received FDA clearance. He has authored/co-authored ~175 peer-reviewed papers and 7 book chapters, and is an inventor/co-inventor of 14 US patents granted/applied for and 35 worldwide patents granted/applied. He has served on NSF panels for over two decades, on study sections at NIH and on review panels for DOE, NASA and DoD. His work was funded by NSF, by DoD (ARO, and ONR), the states of Ohio and Idaho, private foundations and industry. He received the Best Researcher Award at the University of Idaho and the Outstanding Research Award at UT. Dr. Bhaduri was recognized as a Fellow by the American Ceramic Society (2001), the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (2014) and the National Academy of Inventors (2016). Dr. Bhaduri was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2017.

Dr. Karen Bjorkman
Professor of Astronomy
College of Natural Science and Mathematics

Karen Bjorkman, Ph.D., is a Professor of Astronomy and Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.  She received her B.S. in Physics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and then worked as an aerospace systems engineer.  Her M.S. and Ph.D. in Astrophysics are from the University of Colorado, Boulder.  She was a staff scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, from 1989-96.  She joined UT in 1996, and was chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy from 2008-10.  Her research focuses on understanding the nature of circumstellar disks of gas and dust, including precursors to planetary systems.  She uses space-based and ground-based data to study these objects.  She has been awarded significant external funding and observing time at major observatories to support her research.  She has served on the Council and the Publications Board of the American Astronomical Society and on numerous NASA and NSF review panels.  Her awards include the Helen Luedtke Brooks Endowed Professorship in Astronomy, a Cottrell Scholar Award, UT awards for Outstanding Research (Sigma Xi) and Outstanding Teaching, and three NASA Group Achievement Awards.  She was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2009.

Starlit Nights: Adventures in Exploring the Universe Lecture PowerPoint

Dr. Robert M. Blumenthal
Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology 
College of Medicine and Life Sciences

Robert Blumenthal, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, and Director of the Bioinformatics, Proteomics and Genomics Program. He received his B.A. degree in microbiology from Indiana University, his M.S. in microbiology from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Michigan. His postdoctoral work in biochemistry was conducted at the University of British Columbia and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. He joined the Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, at the University of Toledo (then the Medical College of Ohio) in 1981. Dr. Blumenthal served on National Science Foundation and NIH study sections, on site-review teams for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and as a peer-reviewer for numerous journals. His research has been funded by NSF and NIH. Dr. Blumenthal's lab studies how bacterial control of their gene expression in response to complex changes in environmental conditions is coordinated, and how it changes as different species of bacteria adapt to new ecological niches. In addition, his lab studies how timing of gene expression is controlled in restriction-modification systems, which are biotechnologically and biologically important. Dr. Blumenthal was appointed a University Distinguished Professor in 2012.

View Dr. Blumenthal Lecture Video

Dr. Michael Boyd
Professor of Music
College of Arts and Letters

• Michael Boyd joined the faculty at The University of Toledo as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Music in 1987. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1994, and to Professor in 1999.  As a professor of piano, he is the creator and administrator of the Dorothy Price Piano Series, which hosts annual concerts by noted pianists.
• In 2008, Dr. Boyd was designated a “Steinway Artist.” Only 1600 pianists worldwide have received this prestigious recognition. In 2022, Dr. Boyd was inducted into the Steinway Music Teacher Hall of Fame, an honor which is presented every two years to talented music educators from the U.S. and Canada.
• Boyd has given lectures titled: “Beethoven as Pianist,” “The Violin and Piano Sonatas,” and “An Overview of Compositional Styles Found in the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas” in Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria.
• His recordings include “The Art of the Piano Transcription,” “American Visions, American Music for Trombone and Piano,” “Stravinsky Rite of Spring and Petrouchka for 2 Pianos,” and “Cello/Piano Music of Davide Popper.”
• Boyd has given solo performances at the American Liszt Society Conference, Ionian University in Greece, the Eastman School of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory, the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin College, and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.
• His chamber and collaborative performances include the Cleveland Chamber Music Society, the Oakmont (California) Concert Series, a violin/piano concert at Heidelburg College, and the Stradivari Society in Chicago.
• As evidence of his piano playing prominence, he served as a Visiting Professor at the world-famous Eastman School of Music and as a summer faculty member at the Indiana University Piano Academy.
• Boyd received his bachelor’s degree from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and his master’s and doctorate from the Eastman School of Music.
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2024.

Dr. Christopher Cooper
Professor
College of Medicine and Life Sciences

Recognized as an outstanding, engaged teacher and mentor, award-winning physician, and extraordinary researcher.
•Received a B.A. in Biology with a Philosophy minor from Wittenberg University and an M.D. from the University of Cincinnati; post-graduate internship, residency, and fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
• Joined the faculty at The University of Toledo (then the Medical College of Ohio) in 1994 as an Assistant Professor, rising to Professor in 2002; currently serves as Dean of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Executive Vice President for Clinical Affairs, and Board Chair, University of Toledo Physicians.
• Internationally recognized for ground-breaking research on renovascular hypertension and ischemic renal disease, including leading the largest ever NIH-funded international landmark trial on these diseases; research has changed clinical practice, avoiding unnecessary and invasive stent procedures impacting tens of thousands of patients in the U.S. and hundreds of thousands world-wide.
• Secured external funding of nearly $24 million, published 96 authored or co-authored, peer-reviewed, extensively cited articles in high-impact journals and 9 book chapters, and engaged in nearly 80 invited lectures, seminars, symposia, and visiting professorships; also served on editorial boards for seminal journals and as a peer reviewer for prestigious journals and federal agencies.
• Elected as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the American Heart Association, and Fellow of the American College of Physicians; selected as the recipient of The University of Toledo's College of Medicine and Life Sciences Award for Excellence in Clinical Research; and appointed to the Board of Governors of the National American College of Cardiology and the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, among other awards and honors.
Named Distinguished University Professor in 2019.

Kevin P. Czajkowski
Professor
College of Arts and Letters

Czajkowski joined the faculty at The University of Toledo as an assistant professor in 1998. He was promoted to associate professor in 2003 and professor in 2010. He currently serves as the director of the Spatially Integrated Social Sciences doctoral program and of the Center for Geographic Information Sciences and Applied Geographics.

• Czajkowski received his B.S. in Meteorology from the State University of New York at Oneonta and his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Michigan.
• He is an expert in the application of geospatial and remote sensing technologies to investigate a wide range of environmental issues.
• He has received over $33M in external funding as PI or co-PI from a myriad of sources including the EPA, NASA, National Science Foundation, and State of Ohio.
• He has received the University’s Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award (2012), the President’s Award for Excellence in Grantsmanship (2017) and the President’s Award for Excellence in Research (2019).
• Czajkowski has also made a substantial impact in science education by engaging K-12 students and their teachers as “citizen-scientists” in geospatial and environmental impact projects.
• In 2007, he received a commendation from Ohio House of Representatives for his K-12 outreach efforts. One external reviewer noted that Dr. Czajkowski is empowering the next generation of STEM professionals through his engagement of students of all ages with geophysical remote sensing experiences.
• He has published 50 peer reviewed articles and 11 book chapters. His peer-reviewed publications are in highly ranked journals for geospatial technology, remote sensing, and geophysical research. His h-index (a measure of publication impact) is over 3x higher than the average for a full professor in his discipline.
• He is also an excellent educator and has been nominated twice for University Outstanding Teaching awards. His department chair noted that in addition to consistently having among the highest teaching evaluation scores in his department, Dr. Czajkowski has advanced teaching and learning via the use of project-based learning, interactive activities and field studies that engage the students in critical thinking.
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2023.

Dr. Mohammad Elahinia
Professor of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing
College of Engineering

Dr. Elahinia  joined The University of Toledo in 2004 with an expertise in the area of additive manufacturing, smart and active materials.

• He received a  Bachelor’s Degree from KN Toosi University of Technology in Iran, a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tehran Polytechnics in Iran, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
• Dr. Elahinia and his students have authored or co‐authored 3 books, 7 book chapters, and more than 100 journal articles.  These publications have been cited more than 4,335 times with an h‐index of 33 and i‐10 index of 102.
• Dr. Elahinia and his students have presented 278 conference papers and he has 19 invention disclosures.
• A strong mentor, Dr. Elahinia has supervised over 15 visiting scholars and postdoctoral researchers.
• During his tenure at The University of Toledo, Dr. Elahinia has received over $13 million in sponsored research funding for 36 projects as principal investigator. Sponsors of his projects include the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Ohio Department of Development, and the Ohio Board of Regents.  
• He received The University of Toledo’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019, and The University of Toledo’s Faculty Research Award in 2017. 
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2020.

Dr. Jon Elhai
Professor of Psychology
College of Arts and Letters

Jon Elhai joined the faculty at The University of Toledo as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in 2009. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011, and to Professor in 2014.  He specializes in cyberpsychology and internet addictions.

• The data analytics firm Clarivate listed Dr. Elhai as one of 2023 Highly Cited Researchers. This distinction recognizes researchers who have authored multiple papers that rank in the top 1 percent by citations in their field and publication year during the past decade.
• Along with his outstanding list of over 370 publications, he co-authored several books including: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Assessment and Treatment Planning for PTSD, and Encyclopedia of Psychological Trauma. He has also contributed chapters to a number of books in his discipline.
• He received grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Research Merit Review.
• He received the Samuel J. and Anne G. Beck Award for outstanding early career research in personality assessment, the Chaim Danieli Young Professional Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the President’s Award for Excellence in Creative and Scholarly Activity from The University of Toledo.
• Elhai has been a forensic psychology consultant for over 20 years and a past research consultant at the Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas.
• As well as being a noted speaker in the U.S., he has given lectures in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
• His dedication to students is exemplified by having chaired or been a member of 28 University of Toledo doctoral dissertation committees and 22 master’s theses committees.
• He is an editorial review board member for Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, Journal of Behavioral Addictions, Discover Psychology, and Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry—among other publications.
• Elhai received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, and his master’s and doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2024. 

Llewellyn Joseph Gibbons
Professor
College of Law 

Professor Gibbons is an outstanding teacher and mentor, and holds an international reputation as a scholar and expert on intellectual property law.  He received his BA degree in psychology, State University of New York; JD degree from Northwestern University School of Law; and LLM degree from Temple University. He joined the University of Toledo faculty in 1998, rising to Professor in 2013. Professor Gibbons was admitted to the Bar in New York (1992), Massachusetts (1993) and US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1992).  He is internationally recognized for his expertise in intellectual property law and has been invited to teach at numerous universities and faculties of law across the world. He was a legal consultant for Northwest University of Politics and Law, Xi’an, China since 2012 and a Distinguished Lecturer, Center for Intellectual Property Rights, Zhongnan University of Law and Economics, China since 2013. Effective fall 2017, he will be named the Wenlan Scholar Chair Professor at Zhongnan University of Law and Economics.  Professor Gibbons was awarded two Fulbright Scholar Fellowships for his work in China and held a peer-review position with the Fulbright program, a position offered only to those who have developed a significant reputation as a scholar in their field of study. He also serves on the editorial board of a peer reviewed journal. He authored an outstanding treatise on trademark law and numerous journal articles on intellectual property topics that are viewed by peers as well researched, thoughtful, original and cited by federal and state courts. Professor Gibbons was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2017.

View Gibbon's Lecture video  

Michael J. Heben
Professor
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Heben joined the faculty at The University of Toledo as a professor and Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization Endowed Chair in Photovoltaics in 2008 after serving as a principal scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO. He currently serves as the Helen and Harold McMaster Endowed Professor in Photovoltaics and is the managing director of the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC).

• He received his B.S. in Physics from John Carroll University, M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.
• Heben is a world recognized expert on a variety of sustainable energy technologies such as photovoltaics, solar fuels, hydrogen storage, and smart grid technologies that will be required to de-carbonize our economy.
• He currently is PI or co-PI on $28M in externally funded projects from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Air Force Research Laboratory and is playing a leading role in the $2B DOE effort to create a hydrogen production hub from nuclear power plants in our region.
• He has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles and has secured 5 patents since coming to the University of Toledo in 2008.
• His research has been cited nearly 18,000 times and his h-index (a measure of publication impact) is characterized as exceptional for a full professor in Physics.
• He has had numerous publications serve as cover articles, editor highlights, top downloads and “hot topics” in high impact journals.
• Heben is an exceptional research mentor, having mentored 2 postdoctoral fellows, 25 graduate students, 12 undergraduates, and 7 high school students. One of his external reviewers noted that his Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows have landed at some of the most prestigious institutions including IBM, Intel, First Solar, NREL, the National Institute of Standards, the U.S. Patent Office.
• He is a strong advocate for education, community engagement and commercialization of sustainable energy technologies, and has been nominated multiple times for the Edith Rathbun Award for Outreach and Engagement Excellence. His efforts have helped secure federal funding, provide educational experiences to K-12 students, and support efforts of industry partners in the Toledo region and across the country.
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2023.

Dr. Paul Hong
Professor of Operations Management
College of Business and Innovation

Dr. Paul Hong, Ph.D. received a B.A. in Economics from Yonsei University, Korea, an M.B.A. in Accounting and an M.A. in Economics from Bowling Green State University, and a Ph.D. in Manufacturing Management and Engineering from the University of Toledo. He joined the University of Toledo faculty in the Department of Information and Technology Management in the College of Business in 1999, rising to Professor in 2007. He is also a certified management account. Dr. Hong's expertise in network capabilities, global supply chain management, international comparative studies, and building growth engine industries for national competitiveness is internationally recognized. His has published three books and more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, and has received external funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. He is the recipient of the Korea Supply Chain Management Industry-Wide Award for Research and Service Excellence in 2017 and the J. William Fulbright-Nehru Teaching and Research Excellence Award in 2016, and he was selected as a University of Toledo Outstanding Researcher in 2015. Dr. Hong was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2018.

Dr. Bina Joe, Professor
Chair, Physiology-Pharmacology
College of Medicine and Life Sciences

Dr. Bina Joe, Ph.D., FAHA, FAPS (CVS) is a founding Director of the Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine, UT College of Medicine. She received her B.S. degrees in biochemistry, botany, and zoology and her Ph.D. is in biochemistry from the University of Mysore in 1997. After a postdoctoral period at the Indian Institute of Science, she worked at AstraZeneca India before joining the National Institutes of Health as an International Fogarty Research Scholar. She joined the faculty of the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, at the Medical College of Ohio in 2001 and became a full Professor in 2011. Dr. Joe's research on the genetics of hypertension has been funded from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute since 2004. She is an accomplished scientist in the field of hypertension, a multi-factorial disease and a leading cause of death. Her laboratory developed ways to identify genetic components of blood pressure regulation using rats as model organisms and systems biology approaches. The studies led to the identification of new genes regulating blood pressure in rat models, some of which are also genetically associated with human essential hypertension. Her lab also studies the link between host genomic interactions with microbiota in hypertension. She has served as a member of NIH study sections since 2005 and as an International reviewer for the Medical Research Council of UK, the Czech Republic and the WELLCOME trust. She is the recipient of international awards including the Young Scholar Award from the American Society of Hypertension (2010), the Lewis K. Dahl Memorial Lecture Award from the American Heart Association Council on Hypertension (2015) and a Distinguished Service Award from the American Physiological Society (2014). In 2015, she received the UT Outstanding Researcher Award and the Research Shining Star award . She has published 72 peer-reviewed articles, 10 invited book chapters and reviews. She serves as editor-in-chief for the Physiological Genomics journal and as a member of the editorial board of Hypertension. She served as president of the Ohio Physiological Society in 2008. Dr. Joe was appointed a University Distinguished Professor in 2017.

 View Dr. Joe Lecture Video

Dr. Jon R. Kirchhoff
Professor and Chair of Chemistry
College of Natural Science and Mathematics

Jon Kirchhoff, Ph.D, is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Natural Science and Mathematics. He earned a B.A. degree in chemistry from the State University of New York, Cortland, and a Ph.D. degree from Purdue University. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of Cincinnati before joining the University of Toledo Chemistry Department in 1989. His nationally recognized research in bioanalytical chemistry is focuses on development of modified electrodes and microelectrodes, and electrochemical detectors for capillary electrophoresis, as well as electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods, redox properties, and the photochemistry and photophysics of low-valent rhenium complexes. This research was supported by NSF, the Department of Defense/DARPA/DSO, the American Chemical Society and the Ohio Board of Regents Investment Fund. His work has been published in over 75 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and he co-holds a patent for layered electrodes with inorganic thin films. Dr. Kirchhoff served on national ACS examination committees for analytic chemistry, on the Department of Energy’s Analytical Subsection Review Panel (2001) and on the Board of Directors of the Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry (2009-2014), including as Finance Committee Chair (2011-2014). He received the College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Excellence Award in 2009.  Dr. Kirchhoff was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2010. 

View Dr. Kirchoff Lecture Video

Dr. Revathy Kumar
Professor
Judith Herb College of Education

Kumar joined the faculty at The University of Toledo as an assistant professor in 2001. She was promoted to associate professor in 2007 and professor in 2013. She recently served as a visiting scholar at the Nanyang Technological Institute in Singapore.

• She received a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Bombay, a B.Ed. in Teacher Certification, and a M.Ed. in Education Psychology from Bangalore University. She served as a high school chemistry teacher in India and received a M.A. in Psychology from Annamalai University.  She then came to the United States and completed a Ph.D. in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan.
• Kumar is recognized internationally as a leading scholar in educational psychology on race, culture, learning and motivation. The focus of her research is the role of teachers, teacher-education programs, schools, communities, and families in facilitating the development, learning, and motivation of minority and immigrant adolescents.
• She has received over $1.5M in external funding as PI or co-PI, published 20 peer-reviewed articles, written 16 peer-reviewed book chapters, and has over 75 international presentations. Her work has been cited over 3,500 times and has an h-index (a measure of publication impact) that is nearly twice the average for a researcher in her field.
• She has received numerous awards, including the Alice H. Skeens Outstanding Woman Award, the UToledo Outstanding Faculty Research and Scholarship Award, and election as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.
• Kumar received two Kohler Foundation international travel grants to present her work at international meetings in Australia and Greece and was selected to serve as a Fulbright Specialist scholar at the University of Haifa and the Oranim College of Education in Israel.
• She recently served as a Provost Faculty Fellow to work with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to study the experiences of first year college students and faculty attitudes and beliefs toward diversity.
• She was associate editor for Developmental Psychology and is an editorial board member for the Journal of Educational Psychology and Educational Psychologist, three of the most prestigious publications in her field.
• She is an excellent instructor and mentor, particularly for graduate students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and other fields.
• A former student, now a department chair at an HBCU, noted “Dr. Kumar’s example taught me to advocate for my students and to hold them to a high standard. I was sixty years old when I began my academic career. Some people suggested that because of my age, the most I could do with my doctoral degree was to be a role model for those coming after me. Dr. Kumar countered this notion by continuing to push me and believe in me.”
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2023.

Dr. G. Glenn Lipscomb
Professor
College of Engineering

 Dr. Lipscomb joined the faculty at The University of Toledo as an assistant professor in 1994 and was promoted to associate professor in 1995 and professor in 1999. He served as the Department Chair of Chemical & Environmental Engineering from 2004 to 2019.

• He received his B.S. from the University of Missouri at Rolla and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkley.
• Professor Lipscomb is an expert in biofuels production and membrane separation science and technology.
• In 2020, he received the Edith Rathbun Outreach and Engagement Excellence Award. This award is given to those who have provided exceptional service and engagement to the community.
• In 2013, he was selected for the UToledo Outstanding Teaching Award. This University-wide award is given in recognition of exceptional contributions and achievement in teaching.
• Both the quantity and quality of his work are impressive. He has published over 55 scholarly articles in some of the top tier journals in his field. He is also the coauthor of a book and has secured six patents.
• His research has been supported with funding from a myriad of sources including the National Science Foundation, US Department of Energy, US Bureau of Reclamation, Generon IGS, Nissan, Asahi-Kasei, and FilmTec. He has received $2,792,000 as PI and $1,631,000 as Co-PI for these funded research projects.
• Professor Lipscomb has given numerous invited talks around the world and was a University of Bologna Institute of Advanced Studies Fellow in 2015. His research has been recognized with The University of Toledo President's Award for Excellence in Grantsmanship in 2019 and College of Engineering Outstanding Research Award in 2021.
• Dr. Lipscomb is an experienced and exceptional teacher, consistently earning excellent evaluations from students. One student writes, "Dr. Lipscomb truly makes an effort to ensure every student succeeds. From my first day as a UT Rocket, to graduation and beyond, he has been an integral part in helping me reach my goals and become the engineer that I am today. Not only does he strive for student success, he also volunteers many hours of his time to help those that are less fortunate."
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2021.

S. Thomas Megeath, Ph.D.
Professor
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Dr. Megeath joined The University of Toledo in 2006 as an assistant professor. He was promoted in 2009 to associate professor and professor in 2015.
• He earned his B.S in Physics from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Cornell University.
• Professor Megeath was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 2020 to travel to U. Concepcion Chile to conduct his research.
• He has published over 377 publications, including 178 in refereed journals. Many of these publications are in highly indexed journals. This work has yielded over a total of 17,574 citations in scholarly work.
• In 2016, he was awarded the College of Science and Mathematics Excellence in Research Award,
• During his career at UToledo, he has been awarded 4.2 million dollars in competitively awarded grants.
• Dr. Megeath is highly involved in his profession of Astronomy and from 2016-2021, he served as a member of the executive committee for NASA's Cosmic Origin Program Analysis Group.
• In 2021, he served as Chair for Stellar Astronomy Panel of the first James Webb Space Telescope Time Allocation Committee.
• Professor Megeath is an exceptional teacher and consistently receives high teaching evaluations and he is known for his engagement with students in research. One of his nominators wrote, "Tom has done exemplary work with undergraduate research students in providing challenging problems for them and enabling several of them to get accepted in first-rate graduate programs at other institutions. Graduate students have successfully completed their PhD studies working with him and they are now engaged in successful careers at research centers, in academia, and in industry. All of them are working on problems at the frontiers of the physics of star formation, placing them in excellent positions for later postdoctoral appointments in their field."
Named Distinguished University Professor in 2021.

Kim E. Nielsen, Ph.D.
Professor
College of Arts and Letters

Dr. Nielsen joined The University of Toledo in 2012 at the rank of professor. She is also the Chair of the Disability Studies Department.

• She received her B.A. from Macalester College, an M.A. in History from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. in History also from the University of Iowa.
• Professor Nielsen has become one of the most important shapers of the field of Disability History. Her external letter writers note, "Nielsen is unquestionably the leading North American scholar of disability history and has shaped the interdisciplinary field of disability studies, both nationally and internationally."
• In 2021, she was awarded The University of Toledo Outstanding Faculty Research and Scholarship Award.
• In 2021, she was the winner of the 2021 Rosen Prize of the American Association for the History of Medicine for The Oxford Handbook of Disability History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018).
• In 2019, she was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Award to travel to Erfurt Germany.
• In 2018, she received The University of Toledo's Outstanding Teaching Award, the universities highest award for teaching excellence.
• She is the author and co-editor of several books. Her most recent book was published in 2020 Money, Marriage, and Madness: The Life of Anna Ott. Champaign: University of Illinois Press.
• Professor Nielsen has published numerous articles on disability related research in leading journals in her field and given dozens of presentations both domestically and internationally.
• In addition to her stunning scholarship, Professor Nielsen is also a careful, creative and rigorous teacher to undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to being an incredible mentor to junior faculty. Professor Nielsen has also been incredibly influential in shaping the lives and expectations of undergraduate students through her mentorship. One student wrote, "her pedagogical skills ignited a passion in me to hone my teaching style. In other words, I wanted to be the kind of professor Dr. Nielsen is when I grow up."
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2021.

Melinda Reichelt, Ph.D.
Professor of English Language and Literature
College of Arts and Letters

• Dr. Reichelt joined The University of Toledo in 1997 and received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education from Anderson University, and her M.A. and Ph.D., both in English, from Purdue University.
• She carries the responsibility at the University of directing the English-as-a-­Second-Language writing program. She also teaches courses in linguistics and ESL writing.
• Dr. Reichelt has done work in Germany and Poland.  As befitting her international reputation, she has also presented her work all over the world, including in Cuba, Spain, China, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Germany, Poland, Portugal, and Ukraine.
• Dr. Reichelt co-edited two invaluable volumes, entitled Foreign Language Writing and L2 Writing Beyond English, and she has published in a vast array of important edited collections and prestigious scholarly journals. Among them are the Modern Language Journal, Journal of Second Language Writing, Foreign Language Annals, Language Awareness, World Englishes, and Composition Studies.
• In addition to her wide-reaching publication efforts, Dr. Reichelt has maintained an active professional presentation schedule, delivering keynote speeches and regularly presenting her work at some of the field's leading professional conferences.  These high-profile gatherings include the Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, the Conference on College Composition and Communication, the Symposium on Second Language Writing, the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Applied Linguistics, and the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Convention.
• Named Distinguished University Professor in 2020.

Dr. Joseph Slater
Professor Law
College of Law

Joseph Slater, J.D., Ph.D., received a B.A. in History from Oberlin College, a J.D. from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in History from Georgetown University. He Joined he University of Toledo faculty in the College of Law in 1999, rising to Professor in 2004 and to Eugene N. Balk Professor of Law and Values in 2007. Dr. Slater is recognized as the leading expert in public-sector labor law, influencing two separate fields of study: labor history and modern labor law. His work is not only respected in the academy, but also by practicing attorneys, the courts, and the national and international media. He has served as an expert witness on the history of labor law on a number of cases. He has published four books, which are extensively cited and widely reviewed, and 29 peer-reviewed articles and essays in law and academic history journals. He was the recipient of a University of Toledo Outstanding Teaching Award in 2008, a University Presidential Research Award in 2012, a Student Impact Award in 2012, a University of Toledo Outstanding Faculty Research Award in 2016, and he was elected to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2014. Dr. Slater was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2018.

Dr. Celia Williamson
Professor
College of Health and Human Services

•Recognized as an award-winning and dedicated teacher, outstanding researcher, and the nation's leading expert on human trafficking.
• Received a B.S.W. in Social Work from The University of Toledo, an M.S.W. in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from Indiana University.
• Joined The University of Toledo faculty in 2000 as an Assistant Professor, rising to Professor in 2009; served as Chair of the School of Social Justice in the College of Health and Human Services and currently serves as Executive Director of the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute.
• Internationally recognized for pioneering, translational research on the prostitution of women and children globally, human sex trafficking, gender violence, social justice, and mental health and substance abuse counseling needs for vulnerable populations, and for founding the Second Chance Program, now called RISE, the first anti-trafficking program in Ohio; the International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference, the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition, the National Research Consortium on Commercial Sexual Exploitation, and the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars; also co-founder and managing editor of The Journal of Human Trafficking, a top-tier journal in the field.
• Secured external funding of over $2 million, published 2 co-authored books, 2 book chapters, and 21 peer-reviewed, extensively cited articles in high-impact journals, completed 15 co-authored federal and state reports and engaged in 89 presentations and 15 keynote presentations; also served as an expert witness and consultant.
• Awarded the F.B.I Community Leadership Award, the Human Rights Award by the United Nations Office; the 26th Most Influential Social Worker in the United States; Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, the General Assembly of the State of Ohio Senate's Honor for Outstanding Accomplishment, the YWCA Milestones Award, the Jefferson Award, The University of Toledo's Edith Rathbun Outreach and Engagement Excellence Award, The University of Toledo Gold T Award, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University's School of Social Work, among other awards and honors.
Named Distinguished University Professor in 2019.

Yanfa Yan, Ph.D.
Ohio Research Scholar Endowed Chair/Professor 
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Dr. Yan joined The University of Toledo in 2011 as the Ohio Research Scholar Endowed Chair/Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.  He is a world-class leader in theory, characterization and fabrication of Photovoltaic devices with substantial contributions to that field and related areas of solar fuels and energy storage.  He is a recognized expert in the development of perovskite solar cells.
• He received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. in Physics from Wuhan University in China.
• Since arriving at UToledo, Dr. Yan has been a prolific researcher achieving an h-index (impact factor) of 98, accruing 32,784 citations for his work, as well as publishing 262 papers and securing over $24 million in external research grant funding.
• During his scientific career, he has authored or co-authored 435 publications and has given more than 75 invited talks at conferences and colloquia.
• Dr. Yan has received both internal and external recognition for his research efforts.  In 2018, he received the UToledo Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award.  In 2017, he was awarded The University of Toledo President’s Award for Excellence in Grantsmanship.  He was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in 2011.
• Dr. Yan has provided significant service to his research community both locally and nationally. He has served as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Panel Reviewer and actively contributes to the scholarly review of articles submitted to the leading journals in his field.
• He is a noteworthy teacher and mentor who consistently teaches above his required teaching load and receives outstanding student evaluations.  Many of his graduate students have secured high level positions at other institutions after graduation.

Rebecca Zietlow, JD.
Professor
College of Law

 Professor Zietlow joined The University of Toledo in 1995 and has served as the Charles W. Fornoff Professor of Law and Values since 2002.  She studies the Reconstruction Era with an emphasis on the meaning and history of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments.  Her work as a legal historian has won the acclaim of other legal academics, historians, political scientists, and the public at large.

• She received her B.A. from Columbia University and her J.D. degree from Yale University.
• Professor Zietlow has written two books, six book chapters and 26 scholarly articles.  Her work has also been widely presented at some of the leading conferences in her field. 
• She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to research the cultural impact of political reform in Brazil.
• In 2016, she was elected by her peers as Chair of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Women in Legal Education.  The AALS is the leading national organization of law schools in the United States.  While she chaired that Section, she helped to mentor and create opportunities for women throughout the legal academy, including hosting an event featuring the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
• Professor Zietlow is widely featured in some of the most respected media outlets such as The Hill and USA Today for her expertise.
• She is an outstanding teacher and her evaluations are filled with student comments that her courses are challenging and engaging.  She genuinely cares about creating a welcoming environment for her students that allows them to explore ideas in deep and sophisticated ways. 
• As a nationally recognized leader, she has been a visiting professor for The Wisconsin School of Law, Vermont School of Law and The University of Iowa College of Law.

Dr. Abdollah Afjeh
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering

Abdollah Afjeh, Ph.D., received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo. He joined the University of Toledo faculty in 1984 as an assistant professor, rising to Professor in 1995. He serves as Chair of the Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering and as Founding Director of the Small Turbine Engine Institute. Dr. Afjeh is an internationally recognized researcher in propulsion and energy conversion systems, focusing primarily on the development and validation of computational models used to predict behavior of aerospace propulsion systems under flight conditions. He has also adapted his computational fluid dynamics models to more unexpected applications, developing aerodynamic and acoustic models of laryngeal vibration, or phonation. He has a strong record of research productivity and external funding, receiving 49 awards of over $22 million and authoring or co-authoring 115 peer-reviewed publications. Among other awards, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2012 and selected as a University of Toledo Outstanding Researcher in 2014. Dr. Afjeh was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2018.

Dr. James Campbell
Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies
College of Arts and Letters

James Campbell, Ph.D. is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies in the College of Arts and Letters.  He earned his B.A. at Temple University and an M.A. and Ph.D. at SUNY/Stony Brook. He has been a Fulbright Lecturer at the University of Innsbruck (1990-91), and the University of Munich (2003-04). He is editor of Selected Writings of James Hayden Tufts (Southern Illinois University Press), and author of The Community Reconstructs: The Meaning of Pragmatic Social Thought (University of Illinois Press), Understanding John Dewey: Nature and Cooperative Intelligence (Open Court), and Recovering Benjamin Franklin: An Exploration of a Life of Science and Service (Open Court).  He was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2001.

Dr. Robert Collins
Professor of Physics
College of Natural Science and Mathematics

Robert W. Collins holds positions of Distinguished University Professor (2008) and NEG Endowed Chair of Silicate and Materials Science in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He received the B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from Clark University, Worcester MA, and the M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University, Cambridge MA. He has been involved in thin film photovoltaics research and development since 1976 and has worked in all commercialized thin film PV technologies, including a-Si:H, CdTe, and CuIn1 xGaxSe2. In 1982, he joined Standard Oil Company (Ohio) as an R&D physicist, supporting a joint venture that developed the first roll-to-roll production line for thin film photovoltaics. In 1988, he accepted a faculty position at Pennsylvania State University where he received a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award for real-time studies of thin film deposition. In 2004, he joined The University of Toledo to focus on photovoltaics and associated metrologies. Prof. Collins has authored or coauthored more than 400 publications on the optical properties of condensed matter; he has given 80 invited presentations at conferences and colloquia and edited or co-edited 8 books. In 2014, he was elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society. He was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2008.

Dr. Charlene M. Czerniak
Professor of Science Education
Judith Herb College of Education, Health Science and Human Service

Charlene M. Czerniak, Ph.D. is a Professor of Science Education in the Judith Herb College of Education. She received her B.A. degree in Elementary Science Specialization from the University of Toledo, her M.Ed. degree from Bowling Green State University and her PhD degree from The Ohio State University.  She joined the University of Toledo in 1989 and served as Director, Office of Collaborative Research and Grants from 2008-2009.  Dr. Czerniak is an internationally recognized expert in elementary and middle school education, focusing on special interest in science curriculum and instruction, assessment in science, and research on teacher education and educational reform. Her work has received significant extramural support from the National Science Foundation and other agencies. She has published 50 papers and 9 book chapters, and has served as an editor of books and academic journals. She has received the George Mallinson Distinguished Service Award, the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education, the Judith Herb College of Education Research Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award for Service.  She was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2012.

Dr. Laurie Dinnebeil
Professor of Early Child Physical & Special Education
Judith Herb College of Education

Laurie Dinnebeil, Ph.D. is a Professor of Early Childhood, Physical, and Special Education in the Judith Herb College of Education.  She received her B.A. in Psychology from the Dominican College of Blauvelt, her MAT in Special Education from Augustana College, and her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education from Utah State University.  She is the Editor of the Journal of Early Intervention; a Mid-Career Fellow, Zero To Three; and President of the Division of Early Childhood of the Council of Exceptional Children.  Dr. Dinnebeil's research is nationally recognized and focuses on innovative service delivery models used to support early childhood inclusion at the preschool level.  In particular, to achieve an understanding how to best support triadic models of intervention that empower adults to work effectively with young children who have disabilitites. Her research has been supported by $10 million in external funding since 1993. Dr. Dinnebeil was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2014. 

Dr. Paul W. Erhardt
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Paul Erhardt is a Professor in the Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Director of the Center for Drug Design and Development.  He received a B.A. in chemistry and a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Minnesota and undertook postdoctoral training in bioanalytical chemistry and drug metabolism at the University of Texas at Austin.  He was responsible for the design, synthesis and development of esmolol, a unique ‘soft drug’ still marketed as Brevibloc^®.  For his work he received the company’s Presidential Award for Scientific and Technical Excellence. He has served as President of Division VII within IUPAC and as a member on NIH SBIR study sections for drug development.  Dr. Erhardt authored over 150 technical articles, scholarly works and issued patents and has received multi-million dollar funding from government, foundation and private sector sources.  His research focuses on small molecule drug design and development, particularly in the field of anticancer agents. Dr. Erhardt received the IUPAC’s award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Worldwide Chemistry in 2007, the Innovation in Medicinal Chemistry award from the Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists in 2011, the College’s Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award and the Outstanding Research Faculty Award, and the University of Toledo’s Outstanding Faculty Researcher Award.  He was recognized as a Distinguished University Professor in 2012. View Dr. Erhardt Lecture Video

Dr. Ali Fatemi
Professor of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
College of Engineering 

Dr. Fatemi is a Professor of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufactoring Engineering in the College of Engineering. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in structural analysis and design and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, all from The University of Iowa. He was on the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University-Fort Wayne from 1985 to 1987, and has been on the faculty at the University of Toledo since 1987.  Dr. Fatemi's primary research interests and publications involve materials mechanical behavior in general, and in fatigue and fracture mechanics in particular. He has published over 170 refereed papers dealing with fatigue and fracture, both at the basic level helping to understand fundamental fatigue damage mechanisms as well as in the applied areas facilitating applications of the knowledge learned to the design and life prediction of engineering components and structures. He co-authored the second edition of “Metal Fatigue in Engineering, a recognized textbook in 2000. He is a Fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and is internationally recognized for his contributions and research into materials fatigue and fracture mechanics, co-developing multiaxial fatigue theory. He has been awarded $3.6 million over 35 research projects as the sole principal investigator and an additional $3.1 million in sponsored research as a co-principal investigator with other researchers. He is the recipient of the Engineering Outstanding Research Award, the UT Outstanding Research Award in 2002 and the Sigma Xi/Raftopoulos Outstanding Research Award in 2008. Dr. Fatemi was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2012. 

Dr. Vijay Goel
McMaster-Gardner Professor and Endowed Chair of Bioengineering
College of Engineering

Dr. Vijay Goel is the McMaster-Gardner Professor and Endowed Chair of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering, a Professor in the College of Medicine, and a co-Director of the Engineering Center for Orthopaedic Research Excellence. He received his B.E. Hons, degree in Mechanical Engineering from Panjabi University, India, his M.E. degree in Mechanical Design from Roorkee University, India, and his Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales, Australia.  Dr. Goel has served on NIH review panels for musculoskeletal tissue engineering among others, on AO Switzerland panels, and for the North American Spine Society’s Research Committee (2008-2014). He serves on the editorial boards of national and international peer-reviewed journals focused on the spine, biomechanics and medicine.  He is an international expert in the area of orthopedic biomechanics, including spine biomechanics and knee biomechanics.  His work has been funding by NIH, NSF, industry sponsors, and the State of Ohio-Third Frontier Program, resulting in over 270 journal articles, books and other publications. Dr. Goel has received the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine Wiltse Lifetime Achievement Award (2010), the Henry Farfan award for spinal disorder management through service from the North American Spine Society (2006), and the Borelli Award from the American Society of Biomechanics (2014). He was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2009.View Dr. Goel Lecture Video

Dr. Blair Grubb
Professor and Director of the Electrophysiology 
College of Medicine & Life Sciences

Blair Grubb, M.D., is a Professor and Director of the Electrophysiology, Pacing/RF Ablation Laboratory, Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine in the College of Medicine & Life Sciences. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and his M.D. degree from the Universidad Central del Este. He is nationally recognized for his research into the mechanisms and management of disturbances of the autonomic nervous system and the causes and treatment of syncope and postural tachycardia syndrome. Dr. Grubb is an associate editor of PACE and has been awarded the Legacy of Achievement Award from the American Heart Association (2001), the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence, Medical College of Ohio in 1996, and the University of Maryland's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1994. Dr. Grubb was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2009.

View Dr. Grubb Lecture Video

Dr. Joan Kaderavek
Professor of  Early Childhood, Physical & Special Education
Judith Herb College of Education

Joan Kaderavek, Ph.D. is a Professor of Early Childhood, Physical, and Special Education in the Judith Herb College of Education and a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She received her B.A. in Speech Therapy from Miami University, her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from The Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in Communication Disorders from Bowling Green State University. She completed post-doctoral training at the University of Michigan, and taught in India as a Fulbright Senior Specialist Fellow in 2010. She joined the University of Toledo in 1998.  Dr. Kaderavek's research is nationally recognized and focuses on children's early literacy and language development, parent-child interactions, and academic discourse in early childhood classrooms. Dr. Kaderavek has served on IES grant review panels, as an onsite reviewer for the US Department of Education Early Reading First grants, and is a peer-reviewer for educational journals. Her work has been funded by large-scale preschool reading intervention grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences and by NSF. Dr. Kaderavek was appointed as a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Toledo in 2009.

Dr. Theo Keith
Distinguished University Professor Emeritus
College of Engineering 

Graduated from West Technical High School in Cleveland, Ohio.
Worked in the Property and Records Department of the East Ohio Gas Company
Obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Fenn College in Cleveland, Ohio.

• Employed as a government employee at the Naval Ship Research and Development Center (NSRDC) in Annapolis, Maryland.
• While working at NSRDC developed a numerical simulation of the water expulsion (deballasting) system of a nuclear submarine and performed analysis on naval propulsions systems.
• Obtained MSME and PhD from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland (Advisor: Dr. James E.A. John).
• Joined the University of Toledo as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1971
• Promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 1976.
• Promoted to Full Professor in 1981.
• Served as ME Department Chair for nearly 8 years
• Selected as a Distinguished University Professor in 1991 (5-year appointment).  The appointment was renewed twice.
• Invited as one of nine visiting engineering faculty from Ohio to the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI).
• Selected as OAI's first Director of Research
• Appointed the OAI Vice-President of Workforce Enhancement
• Invited as the Director of Research and Technology at the NASA Glenn Research Center for 2 years.
• Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in 2006.

Jim Klein
Professor
College of Law

His nomination cited Klein’s longtime leadership in legal service, professional development and athletic law. He helped initiate the College of Law’s Legal Clinic, served as a member of the American Bar Association’s Accreditation Committee from 1997 to 2003, and worked on major reforms of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s bylaws concerning academic progress, eligibility, and legislative review and interpretations. “Many alumni have shared with me that their work with Professor Klein changed their lives,” wrote his nominator. “Rarely do I attend an Ohio or national function without having judges and bar leaders ask me to convey their respects to Professor Klein.” Mr. Klien was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2008. 

Dr. Ashok Kumar
Professor
College of Engineering

•Recognized as an ardent, award-winning teacher and mentor, an exemplary researcher, and a leading expert on air quality.
• Received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Allgarh University, India; an M.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ottawa, Canada; and a Ph.D. in Environmental Fluid Mechanics from the University of Waterloo, Canada.
• Joined The University of Toledo faculty in 1980 as an Assistant Professor, rising to Professor in 1989; served as Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering since 2004.
• Internationally recognized for innovative software and paradigm-shifting methodologies and models for air quality, air pollution dispersion, emission rates, acid rain, radon pollution, and risk assessment to solve complex environmental problems; research employed and disseminated by industries, government agencies, the scientific community, policy makers, and faculty and students world-wide.
• Secured research grants and contracts of over $5.5 million, published more than 200 authored or co-authored, peer-reviewed, highly-cited articles and 9 co-authored and co-edited books, and engaged in hundreds of conference presentations and proceedings, and over 100 reports.
• Awarded the Civil Engineering Teacher of the Year and Outstanding Researcher Award by The University of Toledo's College of Engineering; the L.A. Ripperton Award for Distinguished Achievement as an Educator in the Field of Air Pollution by the Waste Management Association; Certificate of Excellence and Certificate for Promoting Radon Awareness, Indoor Radon Program by the Ohio Department of Health; Honorary Member of the Air and Waste Management Association, and The University of Toledo's President's Award for Outstanding Contributions to University Scholarship and Creative Activity, among other awards and honors.
Named Distinguished University Professor in 2019.

Dr. Richard Komuniecki
Jacobson Professor of Biomedical Research
College of Natural Science and Mathematics

Dr. Komuniecki earned an A.B. degree in Biology from Holy Cross College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He was an NIH postdoctoral fellow in parasite biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame before joining the faculty at The University of Toledo in 1980. His research has focused on aspects of the biology and biochemistry of the parasitic nematode, Ascaris suum, and more recently on tyramine receptors and interactive sensory-mediated microcircuits in Caenorhabditis elegans. His research has been recognized with national awards, including the Bueding and Von Brand Award for outstanding contributions to biochemical parasitology (1992) and the Henry Baldwin Ward Medal for meritorious contributions to parasitology (1992) from the American Society of Parasitologists. He also received the Outstanding Research Award (1990), the Dion D. Raftopolous Award/Sigma Xi Award (1992) and an appointment as a Doermann Distinguished Lecturer (2001) from the University of Toledo. Notably, in 2006, he was invested as the inaugural Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Professor in Biomedical Research. Dr. Komuniecki was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 1998.

Dr. Clinton Longenecker
Stranahan Professor of Leadership and Organizational Excellence
College of Business and Innovation

Clinton Oliver Longenecker is a former Stranahan Professor of Leadership and Organizational Excellence in The College of Business and Innovation. He holds a B.B.A. and M.B.A. from the University of Toledo and Ph.D. in management from Pennsylvania State University. His teaching, research and consulting interests are in high performance leadership and creating great organizations. He has been the recipient of over forty outstanding teaching, service and research awards and numerous industry awards including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Toastmaster International Leadership Award, and The Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service, among others. He has also been recognized by The Economist as one of the Top Fifteen Business Professors in the World. He has published over 180 articles and papers in leading academic and professional journals and is the co-author of two best-selling leadership books. Dr. Longenecker is an active management consultant, educator, executive coach and is nationally recognized as one of the top motivational speakers in America. In addition, he is an active community servant and has done extensive construction and relief work in the country of Haiti. Dr. Longenecker was appointed a University Distinguished Professor in 2015.

Dr. Maurice Manning
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology
College of Medicine

His nomination cited highlights of his achievements in research, education and scholarship include international recognition on clinical research on hypertension and uterine contractions and a current research project that has been funded for 33 consecutive years by the National Institutes of Health — a record among active UT faculty.

Manning is a 10-time winner of the Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching and also has won the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence. "By every measure that one can apply to faculty performance, Dr. Manning has excelled in scholarship, teaching and professional outreach," wrote his nominator.

Susan Martyn
Stoepler Professor of Law and Values
College of Law

Susan R. Martyn, J.D., is the Stoepler Professor of Law and Values in the Department of Law, College of Law. She received her B.A. degree from St. Olaf College and her J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School. She has served as a member of the A.B.A. Ethics 2000 Commission from 1997-2002; an adviser for the American Law Institute's Restatement (Third) of the Law Governing Lawyers from 1989-2001; and a member of Ohio Supreme Court Task Force on the Rules of Professional Conduct for 2002-2006. She is a member of the Michigan and Ohio bars, a member of the A.B.A. Standing Committee on Ethics and Personal Responsibility, and a Life Member of the American Law Institute. She is a nationally recognized expert on legal ethics and the regulation of lawyers and Bioethics. She has written extensively about legal ethics and has been instrumental in the past twenty years in developing the Law Governing Lawyers. She was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2012.

Dr. Marcia McInerney
Professor and Chair of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dr. McInerney is Professor of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, and Executive Administrative Dean in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.  She earned the B.A. in Biology at the University of Connecticut, the M.S. in Microbiology/Immunology at Case- Western Reserve University, and the Ph.D. degree in Microbiology/Immunology at the University of Michigan. Dr. McInerney completed post-doctoral research at Yale University prior to joining the University of Toledo in 1991. Her research interests include describing the effects of immune-pathology mechanisms on the autoimmune aspects of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, using the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse as a primary model. Her work has been funded by the NIH, other external agencies, and intramural sources. She has served on the Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases B Subcommittee of the Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Initial Review Group at the NIH.  Dr. McInerney was the Mary Iacocca Senior Research Fellow (1998-1999) at the Joslin Diabetes Center of the Harvard Medical School, and is currently an adjunct professor at the U. Michigan School of Medicine. She was the recipient of a Career Development Award from the American Diabetes Association, a CODA Children’s Research Award from the Central Ohio Diabetes Association, the University Outstanding Research Award (2006), the College of Pharmacy Dean’s Outstanding Research Award (2006) and was the recipient of a Presidential Research Scholarship Award (2012). Dr. McInerney was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2010.

View Dr. McInerney Lecture Video 

Dr. Gretchen E. Tietjen
Professor of Neurology
College of Medicine and Life Sciences

Dr. Tietjen is Professor and the Clair Martig Endowed Chair of Neurology in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences.  She received her B.S. degree from the University of Michigan, earning membership in Phi Beta Kappa her junior year and graduating Magna Cum Laude. She earned her M.D. degree from the University of Michigan, completed internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Rochester and a fellowship in neurology at the Center for Stroke Research at Henry Ford.  She joined the Medical University of Ohio in 2006 as Director of both the Headache Treatment Research Center and the Stroke Research Center of Northwest Ohio. Professor Tietjen is an international authority on stroke, migraines and headache diagnoses and treatment and an active researcher into the bases of gender differences in headaches and emerging biomarkers for migraines. Her work has been funded since 1990, and has resulted in 71 peer-reviewed publications, 16 multicenter clinical trial publications, 19 other publications, and 18 book chapters. Dr. Tietjen is a member of 13 professional societies, academies and associations.  She has served as President of the Ohio Headache Association and on the executive boards of the Association of University Professors of Neurology, the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy and the Migraine Research Foundation. She also served on journal editorial boards and on reviews panels for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Her professional awards include the 2014 American Heart Association Heart of Gold Honoree, the American Headache Society’s Harold Wolff Lecture Award in 2011, the American Headache Society’s women’s issues research award in 2011 and Seymour Solomon Presidential Lecture award in 2008. She received the UT Outstanding Research Award in 2011. Dr. Tietjen was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2012. 

View Dr. Tietjen Lecture Video

Dr. Ronald Viola
Professor and Chair  Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Ronald Viola, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Fordham University and his M.S. (chemistry) and Ph.D. degrees (biochemistry) from Pennsylvania State University before completing postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin. He has served on the NIH Drug Development study section, NIH Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship study section, and the NSF Chemistry of Life Processes review panel. Dr. Viola was awarded the UT Outstanding University Researcher Award in 2007, the University of Akron Arts & Sciences Faculty Research Award in 1999, and the Southern Illinois University Research Scholar Award in 1984. His research on targeting metabolic enzymes for species-selective drug development and mechanistic studies of enzyme-catalyzed reactions was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH. Other research focuses on extraction and crystallization of membrane proteins, exploring novel approaches for antibiotic development and developing therapies for the treatment of neurological diseases. He was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2009.

View Dr. Viola Lecture Video  (be sure to turn up the volume for audio)

Dr. Matthew H. Wikander
Professor
College of Arts and Letters

His nomination cited his expertise in literature, particularly the work of William Shakespeare, is internationally renowned. He has written three books of literary criticism, as well as numerous articles in acclaimed journals and books of his field, including Shakespeare Survey, Shakespeare Quarterly, The Cambridge Companion to O’Neill and The Blackwell Companion to Tragedy. “These are premier venues for scholarly work which accept only the most accomplished and serious work,” wrote Wikander’s nominator. “UT students are studying with a world-class Shakespearean; one who brings to them his love, enthusiasm and clear sense of the continuing relevance of his subject, as well as a decided flair for the dramatic.” 
Dr. Wikander was appointed a Distinguished University Professor in 2008.