The Rogers Report February 2018

We are less than two months away from welcoming the Class of 2022! In the midst of orientation, summer classes, construction projects and preparing for August commencement, our students, faculty and staff are looking forward to another successful academic year.

As we await our new students, I've been reflecting on all the great alumni who came before them. We have more than 180,000 living alumni who have gone far in their careers and lives. As president, and on behalf of BGSU, I am so proud of what you have accomplished. It is our goal for Falcons to "do well," but to also "do good." Your success is our success. By doing good, you are paying it forward to ensure the best days are yet to come for our communities and the world.

Enjoy some of my favorite stories and highlights from this past month!

Regards,

Rodney K. Rogers, Ph.D. '81
President
Bowling Green State University

A visit to faculty labs in the Department of Chemistry

In May, we launched a video series to accompany the Rogers Report. My goal is to highlight the areas of our campuses that help make BGSU unique. First, we blew glass and created our very own Falcon. This month, I visited chemistry faculty Dr. Peter Lu, Ohio Eminent Scholar, and Dr. Jayaraman Sivaguru, Antonia and Marshall Wilson Professor of Chemistry, in their labs to learn about their cutting-edge research and how they involve students.

Watch my experience with our chemistry faculty and students →

Honoring Mark Kelly

Last week, alumni, friends and our campus community celebrated the life of the late Mark S. Kelly, director of bands emeritus. It was an honor for the University to host this service. More than 100 alumni and friends returned to play in honor of "The Chief." Mark Kelly was a stalwart of BGSU from 1966 and well beyond his retirement in 1994. Through his teaching and mentorship, he shaped the lives and careers of hundreds of Falcons, spanning generations. He was a loving son, husband, father and friend; a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and an iconic conductor of the BGSU Symphonic Band and Falcon Marching Band. Most important, we are lucky to call him a Falcon.

Listen to the beautiful sound from the Alumni Symphonic Band →

Falcon Hockey alums MacLellan, Reirden claim Stanley Cup with Caps

The NHL Stanley Cup Final captures the interests of millions of fans, including me, each season. Falcon Hockey has an impressive track record of NHL players, coaches and administrators who have etched their names in the cup and won Olympic gold medals. This year was no different, since alumni Brian MacLellan '86 and Todd Reirden '94 are now Stanley Cup champions! With MacLellan serving as general manager and Reirden as assistant coach, the pair helped lead the Washington Capitals to their first-ever cup in franchise history. Facing the Caps were other BGSU familiar faces. Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee '82, who recently won the NHL GM of the Year Award, and forward Ryan Carpenter '14 had an amazing first season for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Recap the "Falcon" Stanley Cup Final →

BGSU faculty partner with Kenyan colleagues to share knowledge of toxic blooms

Our faculty continue to inform public debate and serve society's interests through robust research and outreach projects. BGSU biologists Drs. George Bullerjahn, Timothy Davis, Michael McKay and Jeffrey Miner, along with Dr. Kefa Otiso, an urban geographer in the School of Earth, Environment and Society, recently traveled to Kisumu Bay in Kenya's Lake Victoria to work alongside researchers from nearby Kisii University to share knowledge, study and combat harmful algal blooms in the region. Sharing a concern that hits close to home in Lake Erie, this group of faculty is committed to being part of the solution and is having a critical impact on communities in Kenya and around the globe.

Learn about our faculty's recent trip to Kenya →

Student Tiffany Smith named a Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact

Tiffany Smith is a committed educator and activist dedicated to building communities where all people have sustainable access to healthy and nutritious food. Over the last two years, she has worked on a variety of projects within her academic area of dietetics and health promotion and then as coordinator of our campus food insecurity/hunger alliance. She has brought together campus and community members and organizations to link resources, expertise and awareness to make a local impact on food access. Tiffany joins 13 students who make up the Ohio cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. This one-year fellowship provides learning opportunities focused on the skills the fellows need to address public problems and serve communities.

Read about Tiffany's inspiring efforts to change lives for the world →