Student & Faculty
Feature Profiles

UT INSTRUCTOR PHOEBE BALLARD
TALKS ABOUT CAREER, EDUCATION
By Chris Schwarzkopf

Phoebe Ballard is the Senior Instructional Designer for The University of Toledo Online courses. She has occupied the position for nine years and started teaching classes for UT students two years ago. She instructs two classes per semester, both in the classroom and online.

At one time though, she describes herself as an “unmotivated student.”

“Especially in high school,”  she says. “So the fact that I would get turned on by teaching is really ironic.”

But her statement about a lack of motivation doesn’t seem to square with her personality.

She is a very animated instructor, known sometimes to hop or skip down the center aisle of the fourth floor computer lab in University Hall as she interacts with students in her Visual Communication class.     

But on a recent Monday evening, as orange, late-summer sunlight slides between the blinds in the recently vacated lab, she is low-key and thoughtful as she sits down to recount her early experiences at UT and talk about her job.     

“As a senior instructional designer I basically teach faculty how to teach online. I help them to bring innovative ideas from concept to the classroom,” she says.

Originally from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, Ballard says her father worked retail management for F.W. Woolworth and the family moved frequently due to his promotions. They came to the Toledo area in 1991.

“When I talk about my experiences at the university, I always tell people I’m homegrown,” she says. “I started college in ’92. My degrees are from The University of Toledo. I started as a Communication major.”

Ballard says she also worked on radio shows at WXUT, the UT radio station.

“I had a couple of different ones, all with embarrassing titles and DJ names,” she says. “It was a lot of fun.”

Unfortunately, a loss of direction caused her to drop out after two years. She spent the next few years working various jobs around the city.

“I worked at the Toledo Utilities Center downtown as a teller,” she says. “I worked at Bartz Viviano for two weeks. They didn’t like the colors I chose for the ribbons.”

Other jobs included coat–check girl at Georgio’s and receptionist at a personal injury firm. At this same time Ballard was also heavily into the local music scene and was making flyers for shows and bands on Word Perfect.

“I felt I really had a knack for it,” she says. “That may or may not have been the case, but I felt I was good at it and I felt confident in my skills so I just kind of thought, out of the blue, ‘Well, what the heck, I’m going to go back to school and I’m going to major in Art so I can go be a graphic designer.”

She returned to U.T. and majored in Fine Art. Her Bachelor of Arts is in photography with an emphasis on computer art.

Ballard says her first job after graduating in 2000 was teaching a computer graphics course for junior-high and high school students at the Toledo Museum of Art.

“I never though I would be in a classroom and it was an invigorating and challenging, exciting experience,” she says.

Ballard says she was also working other part-time and freelance graphic design and photography jobs at the same time. Then an art school friend who was working in Online Learning at UT told her about an opening.

“I needed to apply,” she says. “So I applied for the job, floored that I got it and then while working here it afforded me the opportunity to go back to school for my Master’s in Education with an emphasis on educational technology and instructional design.”

She says her teaching and her professional position complement each other very well.

“I’m able to implement the research and the best practices that I emphasize to faculty,”  she says. “I’m able to emphasize those things in my classroom when I teach. I’m also able to emphasize my teaching experiences to help be a better guide to faculty.”

Ballard says one of her main duties is to consult with faculty to help them with technical issues and with effective communication, issues of motivation and academic integrity. 

“With an online class it seems you’re always thinking about it and always having to check on it,” she says. “So it’s a different kind of learning environment for students and also different for teachers.”

She says one thing she enjoys most about her position is the balance it offers between the technical side and instructional side.

“I can have teaching experiences whether training a classroom of faculty or working individually counseling and mentoring faculty,” she says. “Or if I’m feeling a little less anxious to be around people, when I want to hole up in my cubicle and get away from the world, I can work on the back end of the technology.”

“Or if I feel a little too nutty and I have dark circles under my eyes I can go out and get coffee with faculty members,” she says. “It’s all good.”

She says this also helps her to hone her skills in creating visual and interactive courses.

As a final thought, she makes a reference to the history window in Photoshop to illustrate how everyone wishes they could change certain things about themselves and their lives.

“I’d like to be thinner. I’d like to be more fit. I’d like to have more money, to be smarter. I’d like to be in a better position to navigate the complexities of the world, you know. “

But above all else, Ballard says she is proud to have her job and proud of her accomplishments.

“I’m relatively happy where I am so I guess I don’t need a history window,” she says.

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Not Your Ordinary Professor
By Cara Perry

The classroom door opens and one by one the students file out. Seconds later a voice calls from inside the classroom, “Are you ready Miss Perry?” Inside of the classroom there is a long table with two chairs set on opposite ends, resembling an interrogation scene from Law and Order. Wearing jeans and a worn blazer, Professor Paul Many is sitting at one end waiting to be interviewed. Fully prepared, he pushes his oval shaped wire rim glasses up his nose and says, “I prepared this for you.” He then slides across the table a packet, much like a resume, with all of his life’s achievements.

The Educator

Many holds four degrees, none of which is in education. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, a Master’s degree in Journalism, a doctorate in Mass Communication research and a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing.  One might wonder why he became a teacher. Many is quick to explain that early in his life he never thought he would become an educator.

“That is one thing that I like to tell people, that you don’t necessarily have an idea what is going to lead to what, so you start somewhere.  I think some people feel that they need to have a whole plan laid out for their career.”

He continues to talk about the rare few who do know, from a young age, what they want to be when they grow up.  He acknowledges that those people do exist, “but, I hate them,” he jokes.

Many says, “I think most people say, ugh, I didn’t know what I wanted to be till I was 20. And then they feel at a disadvantage. In fact, I think many people figure out what they want to be that way. They start with something, opportunities open up, they follow those opportunities, and other opportunities open up.”

Although he is qualified, Many does not considers himself a teacher, “I think of myself more as a professor than a teacher” and he is quick to explain the difference. 

“You have heard the expression those who can’t, teach, right? But when you are professing something you do stuff and then you teach about what it is that you do,” he says.

The Author

Who better fit to teach a writing course than one who has written five books, one a Los Angeles Times Best Children's Book. Many is the author of three young adults books and two children’s books. So which is his favorite?

“Well, the standard answer to that question is that it is sort of like your children, so you like them all for different reasons,” he says. 

Many says that he approached all of his books with the idea of having fun. And clearly humor is no stranger to Many, when told he was Googled he jokingly says, “Oh no! The gas station robbery didn’t come up right? I am still trying to live that down.”

The online search did not reveal any gas station robberies, but it did uncover a YouTube video of Many on NBC’s The Today Show.  “Back in 2008 I get this call out of the blue, “this is so and so producer from the Today Show, would you be interested in being on the show? I said, of course!” He appeared on the show to promote his children’s book Dad’s Bald Head. Recognizing his own bald head, Many says “my books are based a lot on real my real life experience.”

Even while currently working on several novels and promoting the books he has already written Many makes sure his work as a professor comes first. He is a devoted educator and has been rewarded as such. In 2008 Many was presented with The University of Toledo’s Student First Award. This award is given to employees  nominated by students for exemplifying student centeredness. Although eager and willing to talk for hours about the books he has written, when mentioning this award Many almost turns bashful. Besides admitting being surprised, he doesn’t say much about this award.

At the age of 65, Many is already an accomplished individual, but don’t look for him to slow down anytime soon. This author/professor extraordinaire is currently writing a novel for adults and is working on getting four books that he has already written published.

The Midwesterner

No matter where his success takes him one thing is for sure, Many won’t being going far. Although originally from Harlem, New York, Many considers himself a Midwesterner at heart. 

“Many people find that hard to believe, but I really do like the Midwest better.” He says, “I was actually born in the wrong place,” Many says.  He then talks about the difference in lifestyle.

“In New York I was working two jobs and basically being persecuted for trying to park my car. Then I moved out to Ohio and cut that down to one part time job and parked my car right outside my apartment and life was just so much better!”

Many’s modesty is evident. Even when he’s supposed to be talking about himself, he reverts to his students. He concludes the interview by reassuring his students not to be discouraged by not having a perfect career path, but tells them to keep yourself open to opportunity.

“Basically that is what happened to me.  I talk about like riding a train, like a train comes into the station. So the book train came for me in the station, but everyone has their own train!”

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Instilling Confidence and Fighting Hard
by Heather Wilson, UT:10 News Online

University of Toledo student Tommy Pitzen represented the United States at the fourth annual World Kickboxing and Karate Council World Championships in Montreal, October 2nd-7th.

Pitzen has been training for 16 years and is a winner of many state and national championships and a world title.

But behind every great athlete, lies a dedicated trainer.

Jeff Gears, owner of Jeff Gears Mixed Martial Arts in Toledo is one to give credit to for some of Pitzen’s recent success.  Gears has been training Pitzen over the past nine months at his Facility located on 5333 Monroe Street.

“Tommy was already a good fighter when he started working with me,” Gears said “My job is to teach what I’ve already learned.”

Gears fought his first fight in 1977, and recently fought again this year.  “I know what it’s like to train- not that much fun,” said Gears.

Pitzen trains with Gears about three or four days a week for about 2-3 hours each. Then when Pitzen is not training with Gears at Mixed Martial Arts, he is working out at Urban Active in Sylvania.  Pitzen said at one point he was forced to take Sundays off to rest.

Gears explains that besides good physical preparations, there is also a large amount of mental preparations needed before a fight.  “Win or lose, I’m proud of the effort Tommy has made.  That’s part of what a competition is like.”

Pitzen considers Gears to be “one of greatest middle weight ever” and is pleased with how his relationship with Gears has, “blossomed personally and professionally.”

In Montreal Pitzen said the best part was, “representing my country and having 500 people yelling ‘USA’ when fighting.”

Pitzen left the competition taking fourth place.  He said that he always tries to “fight to the best of his abilities and knows he should have done better and will prove that in next year’s competition that will be held in Italy.”

Pitzen is proud of where his training has led him today because “no one thought I could do it.”