BGSU trustees honor faculty, celebrate opening of Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections at May meeting

Board also approves new chair and national trustee, recognizes outgoing trustees for their service

Bowling Green State University trustees used their May 5 meeting to honor faculty, recognize outgoing trustees and welcome a new chair, name a campus athletic field and celebrate the opening of a campus location dedicated to empowering students as they design their careers.

During the second board meeting of 2023, trustees gathered to celebrate the Michael and Sara Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections, which is the new home for a key component of Life Design programming, aimed at helping students align their interests with future career opportunities through meaningful connections and experiential learning.

Celebrating Kuhlin Hub

The celebration of the Michael and Sara Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections on Thursday signified the University’s continued commitment to redefining student success through Life Design at BGSU.

The Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections marks the second expansion this year of the Life Design program following the opening of the Geoffrey H. Radbill Center for College and Life Design in January.

BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers, University leaders, BGSU Board of Trustees members and alumnus Mike Kuhlin ‘68, whose transformative gift in 2022 established the Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections, celebrated the newly refreshed space on the second floor of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union.

"Bowling Green State University is so grateful for the generous support from Mike Kuhlin, and his late wife, Sara, who have again demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our students and a belief in the power of a BGSU education,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “The Michael and Sara Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections will empower our students to leverage all the opportunities and resources that a comprehensive university, like BGSU, has to offer through career exploration and connections with a large network of business and community leaders, as well as thousands of BGSU alumni around the world.”

Student engagement is encouraged through the central location of the Kuhlin Hub and its inviting atmosphere, with comfortable seating and spaces to both relax and connect in between classes.

At BGSU, students begin their track through Life Design with the Radbill Center for College and Life Design and begin working with the Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections as they progress through their journey at the University.

"I chose to support Life Design because I was inspired by the vision of BGSU President Rodney Rogers and the impact this program would have on student success," Kuhlin said. "The Career Design and Connections initiative is results-oriented, and its success will be measured.

"The BGSU Life Design program is leading the nation by offering a four-year comprehensive program that other institutions are interested in emulating. And, I’m confident that Life Design will continue for years to come at BGSU thanks to endowments that my classmate, Geoff Radbill, and I established to support both the Radbill Center and the Kuhlin Hub.”

The Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections is focused on expanding the University’s external partnerships and facilitating connections between students and industry professionals that lead to mentorship, co-ops, internships and fulfilling career opportunities.

Steve Russell, inaugural assistant vice president and executive director of the Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections, said helping BGSU students become “in-network” with large organizations is a top priority. Connecting students, especially those from underrepresented populations, to corporate partners makes them more likely to be considered for positions not traditionally visible to those outside the organization’s network.

The Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections offers students resources and support to explore career opportunities purposefully through prototyping experiences — a concept that stems from design thinking.

Russell said a meeting between a student and alumni working in the student’s field of interest is one example of prototyping. Other examples include job shadowing or in-person simulations connecting a student to a specific company or industry.

Recognizing faculty success

Trustees recognized the achievements of 49 members of the faculty with promotions and tenure. At the May meeting, trustees voted to promote 17 faculty to full professor while 11 others were awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor and one other was awarded tenure.

In addition, trustees voted to promote five faculty members to teaching professor, 11 faculty to associate teaching professor, one faculty member to associate practitioner professor, two faculty members to clinical professor and one faculty member to associate clinical professor.

Further, board members approved emeritus status for 16 faculty members.

“We commend our faculty’s hard work and productivity in meeting the expectations for promotion and tenure,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Joe B. Whitehead Jr. “We celebrate our faculty’s dedication and commitment to teaching, research and creative activities that benefit both our undergraduate and graduate students and make Bowling Green State University what it is today, a public university for the public good.”

Board honors outgoing members

The board officially will have a new chair to replace Marilyn Eisele ’79, whose term on the board expires May 17.

The board elected Drew Forhan ’81, of Hudson, Ohio, as its new chair. Forhan, whose term on the board runs through 2026, previously served as vice chair.

Eisele, a Cleveland resident who is currently the chief financial officer of Miller Tanner Associates, a corporate event planning company, is a widely recognized expert in finance and operations.

“We are incredibly appreciative of former Chair Eisele’s leadership of her alma mater through her service on the Board of Trustees,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “She has been an enthusiastic supporter of Bowling Green State University and the impact of her work will be felt for decades to come.

“We look forward to Chair Forhan’s tenure as the incoming Chair of the Board of Trustees as we continue to build on the momentum that’s moving BGSU forward.”

Previously the president of BIOHM Health LLC and NDI Medical, Eisele has extensive experience on both public and private boards and founded NEO CFO, a group of executive women in northeast Ohio focused on improving company performance and professional development.

She graduated from BGSU with a degree in business administration and married her Falcon Flame, husband Mark '78.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of Trustees of my alma mater, Bowling Green State University," Eisele said. "Serving as a BGSU trustee has been one of the most rewarding endeavors of my life and career. I am grateful for my BGSU education and experiences that ultimately led to this opportunity to serve on the Board."

Forhan is the founder and chief executive officer of ForTec Medical, which mobilizes surgical technologies, particularly laser technology, to medical centers. The business’ revolutionary pay-as-you-go service model makes the technology more widely accessible to hospitals, medical offices and surgical centers, which can use the technology as needed instead of paying significant costs to obtain and maintain technology with short life cycles.

Forhan earned a business degree from BGSU in 1981 and founded ForTec Medical in 1988.

"I am honored to begin my role as chairman and look forward to serving the next two years," Forhan said. "I follow in the footsteps of a dedicated board member and chairwoman, Marilyn Eisele. She has been an invaluable member of the Board of Trustees for the past nine years. Her contributions have been numerous and her love for BGSU is endless. She will be missed."

Trustees also named Dr. Thomas Shehab ’90, of Dexter, Michigan, as a new national trustee. Shehab will begin a three-year term on the board, effective May 6.

Shehab is a medical doctor who earned a biology degree from BGSU in 1990 and now works in healthcare investing. He has served on numerous boards in the past and was most recently the chief of staff for more than 1,000 physicians at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor and the chair of medicine for Integrated Health Associates.

Previously, Shehab earned honors from the University, including the BGSU Athletic Department Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005 and an induction into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2017.

The board also recognized Joshua Auten ’23, whose term as undergraduate student trustee also expires May 17. Auten, who recently graduated with a degree in business administration specializing in finance, gave a financial literacy presentation aimed at breaking cycles of poverty at TEDxBGSU this year.

Auten has accepted a job with Toledo-based Welltower.

The office of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will announce the replacement for Auten's vacant undergraduate trustee position at a later date.

Naming of rugby field

The board on Friday also approved a resolution naming the campus rugby field in honor of Roger Mazzarella ’73, ’75. Mazzarella, a retired BG City Schools astronomy and biology teacher, captained or coached the BGSU rugby program to 26 straight Mid-American Conference titles and has spent a total of 55 years with the program. He is now its director of rugby.