New CEAS Learning Center Provides Students with Collaborative Space

The UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Learning Center, located on the eighth floor of Rhodes Hall, opened its doors at the beginning of Autumn Semester. The new Center provides an academic home for the Department of Engineering Education and first year students. 

Designed to keep students engaged and connected, the center accommodates 175 students and features state-of-the-art wired classrooms, open study areas, mobile tables and chairs, white boards and an inviting social area.

Within the first few weeks of classes, students filled the center on a daily basis, meeting with instructors, other students and tutors. The new space fosters a sense of belonging among students, which is especially important for students living off campus or taking courses outside of the college.

Several UC alumni, including Chicagoans for Cincy! leader, Bob Fealy, were instrumental in raising funds for the Learning Center. Generous support from alumni and donors has helped create a collaborative learning environment for current and future students.

For more information about the center, please click here.

UC's ambitions continue to draw attention

The University of Cincinnati continues to turn heads with progressive goals and recent accomplishments. The university garnered some noteworthy attention this past week regarding university-wide goals and achievements including innovative ideas to stimulate economic development, President Williams' State of the University address, Dean Thomas Boat's vision for the College of Medicine and the continued excitement from UC Athletics including UC's win over USF and the hiring of a new athletic director.

 Photo courtesy of the University of Cincinnati.

UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Carlo Montemagno was featured in a Cincinnati Enquirer Article, "UC an engine for innovation." Dean Montemagno discussed the Entrepreneurial Innovation Center. According to the Enquirer, the innovation center will provide the college's 140 professors and 4,300 students access to workshops, mentors, lab space and an engineering accelerator program to help build and launch businesses. This entrepreneurial initiative will not only create high-tech, high paying jobs while driving economic development, it will create an opportunity for UC to develop products that could change the world.

Later in the week UC's President Gregory H. Williams gave the State of the University Address at the All-University Faculty Meeting where he discussed the university's big dreams and how these dreams are in UC's reach through UC2019. Based on President Williams speech, it is evident UC is on its way to being one of the best institutions in the nation. President Williams also pointed out three areas of opportunity that UC “must address if we want to achieve our aspirations of being one of the finest universities in the nation.” Those opportunities are:

• National Academy membership,
• industrial funding,
• and the number of research/scholarship doctoral degrees awarded.

When President Williams discussed UC2019 he quoted Walt Disney saying, "If you can dream, you can do it."

 Photo courtesy of the University of Cincinnati.

President Williams wasn't the only one talking about UC's ambitious dreams. UC's College of Medicine Dean Thomas Boat shared his vision for the college this week, which includes:

• Making the UC College of Medicine the preferred destination in the Midwest for the best medical students, graduate students, residents and postdoctoral fellows.
• Making UC Health the regional care center of choice for patients who require complex procedures.
• Joining the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Michigan and Washington University in St. Louis as elite biomedical research institutions in the Midwest.

And how could we forget the beloved Bearcats. They broke into the Associated Press Top 25 this week with their victory over USF, bringing their record to 6-1. Following this win, UC announced the hiring of UC's new Athletic Director, Whit Babcock.

UC continues to make big things happen. What makes you proud to be a Bearcat?

From Co-op to Company President

When cooperative education was created at the University of Cincinnati more than 100 years ago, it was based on the premise that gaining experience before graduation not only prepares students for success in the work force – it also provides an opportunity to impress a potential employer before ever hitting the job market.

College of Engineering alumnus John Miller is proof of cooperative education’s value, and is visiting UC this week to enlighten current students with insights into what it takes to be successful. Through hard work, study and determination, he was able to leverage a co-op assignment with the Standard Oil Company (SOHIO) into a 26-year career that saw him ascend company ranks from a co-op student to President, Chief Operating Officer and Director of the company.

Miller achieved a number of impressive milestones and earned numerous promotions along his way to the top. He served as Vice President of Finance during a critical time in the company’s history – when SOHIO was arranging for the extensive funding needed to develop its Alaskan crude oil reserves and pay for its share of the costs of constructing the Trans Alaska Pipeline. He later served as Vice President of Transportation when the pipeline and marine network associated with delivering Alaskan crude to market was being put into operation.

With his record of success in these capacities, he was elevated to Senior Vice President of Technology and Chemicals, a position he held until being elected President and COO of SOHIO in 1980. After leaving the company in 1986, Miller leveraged his business knowledge to found and lead TBN Holdings Inc. and Petroleum Partners, Inc.

Demonstrating a base of knowledge that goes far beyond petroleum, Miller also served as Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for seven years, and was Chairman during the last two years of his term. Today, he is Chairman of the Board of Graphic Packaging Holding Company, an integrated provider of paperboard packaging solutions to multinational beverage and consumer products companies, as well as Cambrex Corporation, a supplier of goods and services to the life sciences industry.

Students who meet with Miller will undoubtedly gain a unique perspective on what it means to take advantage of opportunities presented to them through co-op and experiential learning. So what was the best piece of advice anyone gave you? What would you tell the students of today that you wish someone had told you? Comment below!

Chicagoans for Cincy Support UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science

Artist Rendition of Learning Center Coffee-Cafe

Approximately 300 miles from their alma mater, at the W Hotel in downtown Chicago, a group of UC alumni and supporters gathered for breakfast at the Wave restaurant. This group of alumni along with the Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS), Carlo Montemagno, his wife Pam, and Senior Director of Development at CEAS, John Lagow, discussed the Proudly Cincinnati campaign for the college. The alumni in attendance at the breakfast were Denny DeMoss (’77), Bob Fealy (’73), Blake Layda (’99),  Chris Mekus (’72), Spes Mekus (’72), and Bob Schneider (’70).

Artist Rendition of Learning Center Mainstreet Corridor

Dean Montemagno reported that CEAS has helped raise close to $23 million since the launch of Proudly Cincinnati.  Two priorities of CEAS are building a Learning Center and creating an Honors X Engineering Program. The new Learning Center will be located on the eighth floor of Rhodes Hall.  It will include two reconfigurable classrooms, three “project” rooms, space for small group and individual study, space for tutoring and advising, faculty offices, entry lobby, info center, and a coffee bar. The Honors X Engineering Program will have an accelerated curriculum and enhanced co-op experience, allowing high caliber students to graduate in four years, instead of five.

Artist Rendition of Learning Center 8th Floor Plan

Chicagoans for Cincy! leader, Bob Fealy has been instrumental in raising $6.9 million toward the $10 million goal; $1.8 million has been raised specifically for CEAS with a college goal of $2.75 million.  Bob’s generous support and leadership has encouraged other UC grads to join his mission of supporting current and future UC students.

Sharing Bob’s passion to give back to the college is Denny DeMoss, who received a BSNE in Nuclear Engineering, and subsequently an MS degree from the University of Illinois.  While Denny was an undergraduate, he co-oped with Sargent & Lundy, where he is currently Senior Vice President and Project Director.  Denny, along with another Chicago UC alum, Tom Behringer, set up a Sargent & Lundy Scholarship fund for UC Engineering students.

Blake Layda, present at the breakfast and a member of Chicagoans for Cincy!, has generously created an endowment fund with his college roommate, John Wagner.  Blake graduated with a BSCE in Civil Engineering from UC, where he participated in co-op and was a competitive swimmer.  Blake presently is Vice President and National Director of Commercial Real Estate at Jones Lang LaSalle.

Chris and Spes Mekus are co-owners and Managing Principals of Mekus Tanager, Inc., and have been supporters of UC for over 20 years.  Even though they are both graduates of DAAP, Chris with a BArc in Architecture, and Spes with a BSDe in Interior Design, they are on the CEAS Advisory Council and are supporters of CEAS.

Bob Schneider was also in attendance for the breakfast.  Bob graduated from the College of Engineering with a BSME in Mechanical Engineering and then went on to earn a JD in Law.  He and his wife Janice, also a UC graduate, now live in Chicago where Bob is a trial lawyer, partner, and head of the Intellectual Property Department of Chapman and Cutler LLP.

Check out more opportunities to support CEAS and participate in Chicagoans for Cincy!

UC Prof Wants Students to Learn that Leaders are Givers

Greg Sizemore, an adjunct professor at UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science, recognized a problem with one of his courses.  Though he teaches Leadership Development, this course is only able to teach theory and principle. "Leadership has to be modeled," explains Sizemore, "it can never just be taught."

A couple years ago, Sizemore set off to find a way to better teach the course, especially to convey a key theme to the course, that leaders have to be givers.  Sizemore challenged his students on how to demonstrate this principle, which led to the creation of a scholarship fund.  Sizemore provided a matching grant for the scholarship, encourage students to donate, which generated $12,000 in funding.  Since then, Sizemore's scholarship fund has been endowed, and continues to grow; drawing more donations with each new Leadership Development class, providing direct philanthropy experience for students.

Are you active with promoting a sense of "giving back" with future generations?