A trio of distinguished UToledo alums were honored at the 2023 Homecoming Gala last month. The UToledo Alumi Association presented the Gold T, Blue T, and Outstanding Young Alum Award.
The Gold T is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to their field and has been of service to the University, community, or nation. Martino Harmon was honored this year for dedicating his career to improving college students’ well-being. He has made an impact at institutions including Iowa State University, Cincinnati State Community College, and UToledo. He is the vice president for student life at the University of Michigan.
Harmon helped transform UM’s approach to holistically addressing student health and well-being, leading to the formation of a collective impact group and the signing of the international Okanagan Charter for health-promoting universities.
His career in higher education began when he returned to UToledo after a nine-year stint in professional sales.
At UT his leadership roles included interim assistant dean of students, director of the African-American student enrichment office, and progressive leadership positions in admissions that culminated in his appointment as director of first-year admissions.
The Daniel J. Saevig Blue T is awarded in recognition of an individual’s outstanding service to the UToledo Alumni Association and the University through committee and community involvement.
This year’s recipient is Barbara Floyd, who served UToledo for 31 years as the University archivist and director in the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections. Upon retirement in 2017, she was granted the title of Professor Emerita of Library Administration.
As the University archivist, she collected and preserved the University’s rare books, manuscripts and archives. She worked to expand the center’s collections to include the historical records of many Toledo corporations and organized more than 20 exhibitions that interpreted the center’s collections for the general public. Many exhibits received national awards.
Floyd is a frequent speaker to local community groups on Toledo history. She has also authored numerous monographs and peer-reviewed articles on aspects of Toledo history, including her most recent book, “An Institution for the Promoting of Knowledge: The University of Toledo at 150.”
The Edward H. Schmidt Outstanding Young Alum Award is presented to a UT grad under the age of 35 in recognition of outstanding achievement in their field. This year’s recipient was Joel Whitcomb. A senior in high school on Sept. 11, 2001, Whitcomb felt called to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Navy shortly after. He would go on to serve around the world until he was honorably discharged in 2006.
At UT, Whitcomb was a founding member of the UToledo Student Veterans of America and would later serve as president. He has served on the advisory board of the UToledo Military Service Center, Heroes in Action and Task Force 20. Additionally, he has also volunteered countless hours with Operation Enduring Warrior, Wreaths Across America, Honor Flight and The Cherry Street Mission.
An Eagle Scout, Whitcomb has led fundraising activities that raised thousands of dollars for the Boy Scouts of America through their Friends of Scouting program.
