Winter College To Feature Three Accomplished Speakers

With the warm, sandy beaches of Naples, Florida in the backdrop, alumni and friends are invited to join President Katherine Fell, Ph.D., and the Wolfe Center for Alumni, Parents and Friends at Pelican Isle Yacht Club for a morning and afternoon of fellowship and Oiler pride as part of the annual Winter College. Winter College takes place Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 beginning at 9:30 a.m. and is hosted by University trustee Don Manley and his wife Karen. Three accomplished speakers will discuss their impact on their professions and connections with The University of Findlay.
Susan Young ’07 will be presenting about her success as a senior marine mammal trainer at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. She trains bottlenose dolphins, North American river otters and African great white pelicans in addition to the rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts of the organization. Young also trained the dolphins and had a small role in the movie “Dolphin Tale 2” which featured Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. Young was partially influenced to follow her career path in marine biology during an experiential learning trip to Mexico where seven UF students participated in blue whale research. Read about the research trip here.
Timothy Murphy, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Environmental, Safety and Health Management Program, will be discussing some of the leading environmental safety practices around the globe. Dr. Murphy is also the chairman of the National Environmental Health, Science, and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC), which enhances the education and training of students in environmental health science and protection. He has over 25 years of experience in first response protocols, crisis management and environmental safety and health management. He received his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health from Ferris State University, his master’s degree in Environmental Safety and Health Management from The University of Findlay, and earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from The Ohio State University.
Ronald Niekamp, former UF basketball coach and 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship coach, will be sharing the life lessons he learned during his time coaching this championship team. Niekamp served 26 years as the head coach for the Oiler’s men’s basketball team from 1985 to 2011, where he compiled an overall record of 598-185 and guided 26 straight winning seasons. He captured 10 GLIAC South Division regular season championships and five GLIAC tournament championships before retiring in 2011.
Over lunch, President Fell will offer a University update. Guests may register to attend online or contact the Wolfe Center for Alumni, Parents and Friends at 419-434-4516. This is one of four UF events occurring in the Florida region. More information about upcoming events is available at www.findlay.edu/events.