A Conversation with Matt Schroeder, UToledo’s Interim President

In the debut episode of Powering UToledo, hosts UToledo Interim President Matt Schroeder and award-winning TV and Media Host Kristi K. Hoffman discuss Schroeder’s vision for the University as well as the institution’s accolades and contributions to the region.

00:00 Welcome to Powering UToledo

00:45 Exploring the Beauty of UToledo Campus

03:25 Achievements and Accolades of UToledo

06:03 Getting to Know Interim President Matt Schroeder

11:11 Matt Schroeder's Career Journey

13:15 Leadership Philosophy and Vision for UToledo

17:15 UToledo's Strategic Priorities and Future

25:39 The Value of UToledo Alumni

29:10 Rapid Fire Questions with Matt Schroeder

31:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Kristi K.: Hello and welcome to Powering UToledo a brand new podcast featuring the interim president of UToledo, Matt Schroeder and myself, your host, Kristi K. Hey, Matt. 

Matt Schroeder: Hey, Kristi. How are you?

Kristi K.: Doing great. How are you? 

Matt Schroeder: Good. Good to see you. 

Kristi K.: Looking forward to our first podcast. 

Matt Schroeder: It's going to be fun. Hold on. 

Kristi K.: Exactly. So this is a podcast where we explore what's good. What's exciting and what's to come at The University of Toledo. We're going to interview guests and invite them to join us. We'll talk leadership, news, people, innovation, goals, growth initiatives that are all changing the face of this University for the better.

How does that sound? 

It sounds awesome. 

Kristi K.: Can't wait. I don't know about you, Excited to get started. 

Matt Schroeder: Very excited. A little nervous. It'll be fun though. 

Kristi K.: We're going to have a great time. So Matt, here we are situated as we speak at the center of the absolutely stunning campus of The University of Toledo. This is definitely in my mind, one of the most beautiful campuses I've seen.

What about you? 

Matt Schroeder: I could not agree more. The awards back it up. I mean, you know, as an alumna the beauty of the Centennial Mall, the academic core. The facilities that we have to offer, and most importantly, the collegiate Gothic architecture, and the lovely students and faculty that populate these buildings.

Kristi K.: Totally was going to say that about the Gothic architecture too, because if you, as one of our listeners, have not been on the campus for some time, or maybe ever, You must visit. It is a gorgeous campus, and what you notice is that iconic clock tower that, of course, is a part of our logo as well, but then as you enter from Bancroft Street here in Toledo, Ohio, those gates are beautiful.

When you pull in, it is just like It's such a, such a pleasure to joining on the excitement of the campus. 

Matt Schroeder: It is. The energy is great. You know, the University Hall Clock Tower was on Mead Notebooks back in the day. Lot of rich history here and it's really an iconic campus and often will surprise prospective students, dignitaries when they visit not only Northwest Ohio, but our University of Toledo main and health science campuses.

how beautiful they are. 

Kristi K.: We have two campuses. 

Matt Schroeder: We do. 

Kristi K.: The academic excellence of both of those campuses, the powerful opportunities that abound on these campuses, they make it desirable for students and parents, as you said, and it's really fun for alumni to come back and see the beauty of the campus. 

Matt Schroeder: It is.

I mean, all of our 174, 000 living alumni they have special memories as it relates to, you Either both of our campuses or one of the two, and it's those memories that continue to drive that affinity for the university. It's those memories that help steer the next generation of Rocket alumni. And it's those memories that make us who we are as an institution.

When I get out there and I talk to our graduates, you know, we talk about these beautiful campuses, but again, it's what goes on within these buildings. And many of our alumni will credit. The intellectual property that our faculty deliver, our scientists deliver, for making them who they are today. Truly a special place.

Kristi K.: So true. So we've named this podcast Powering UToledo. It is Matt's and my goal to make sure that you as our listeners gain a better understanding of what it takes to power and to propel this university to the next level. So we're powering up, Matt. Let's go. 

All right. 

Kristi K.: Okay, here we go. So Matt, sometimes as a donor, an alumni community member, one who doesn't always see or hear about the strong and tenacious work ethic, the emphasis on the cutting edge learning, the dedication that goes into running a university of this size we don't always know and hear some of the good stories.

So give us an understanding, if you would, of some of the great. accolades, the national designations, the awards that the university has won. 

Matt Schroeder: Yeah. So Toledo, I often refer to as a sleeping giant. What we have not only in the backyard in Northwest Ohio, but really in the tri state area is recognized nationally on so many fronts.

So in the last fiscal year, 72 million of research awards. We are Northwest Ohio's Research University. What our faculty, our sciences do, scientists do at the bench in the field on the water is truly remarkable. And so for an institution of our size to put up 72 million in awards is fantastic. Programmatically speaking, if there is a program that a young person or an adult is interested in, we most likely have it at The University of Toledo.

And so 21 of our programs. are nationally recognized. And then we cannot forget about the great work that goes on on the health science campus, a part of UToledo Health patient safety, patient quality is of the utmost importance to us. And we were just recently recognized by a third party nonprofit called Leapfrog for receiving a letter grade of B.

We are the only health care system in Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan to have a B rating tied to patient safety. Truly remarkable what our providers deliver at the bedside, in the operating room, and in our rehab facilities. 

Kristi K.: You know, you say all of those things. We cannot take this incredible gem for granted.

I mean, we're a public research university with an academic medical center. That's incredible, 

Matt Schroeder: incredible and measured by one of only 18 in the country to have that in terms of The professional programs that we offer, and then you layer in an academic medical center, not a community hospital, but an academic medical center that in addition to the College of Medicine, both at the undergraduate medical education level, the graduate medical education level, an additional 2000 learners a year that train at the University of Toledo Medical Center.

However, we can't do that without partners like ProMedica and the residents and fellows that we have over at Toledo Hospital. really helps us to be who we are from a clinical perspective. 

Kristi K.: So we've learned some of the broad, great accolades that the University has earned. Now we're going to get to know you a little bit better since it is our first podcast, we're going to do this, okay?

Right here, right now. So you're the interim president of The University of Toledo. Now this university has been around since 1872 and you are one of three alumni, I am told, who have been in the position of president. How does that resonate with you? 

Matt Schroeder: Number one, blessed. Number two, never would have imagined myself in this position.

There are days where I feel like I've been around here since 1872. I've been with the university for a while. Really grew up with the Medical College of Ohio on the Health Science Campus. And so, my view and perspectives and institutional knowledge are, are very well rounded here. Blessed by the board taking the opportunity or a little bit of a risk on me to be interim president.

Humbled by that every day and also very appreciative how our faculty, staff. And community has rallied around not only me, but this moment in the university's history to continue to reposition us because we are a jewel and we are able to, in my humble opinion, change to meet the needs of not only today, but five years from now as it relates to what employers want and need in their businesses.

Kristi K.: Okay, I'm jumping back now. What were you like as a student here on campus? 

Matt Schroeder: That's a great question. So as an undergrad at Toledo and, and I think it probably relates to a lot of our students today. So Toledo born and raised, grew up in South Toledo. Knew that I needed to go on and get an undergraduate degree, but also very conscientious of the price point or the barrier to entry as it relates to pricing, but wanting to make an investment in myself and in my future and to find an institution like Toledo where that value of degree would only compound year over year over year.

So as a student, I would show up to class. And then I would immediately leave campus and go work, depending on the time of year, one or two jobs to help pay for college, which is very similar in 2025 that a lot of our students do today. And you know, I don't really have any regrets in life. I think we can learn from all of our experiences.

My do over as an undergrad at The University of Toledo, and I encourage all of our students to do this today. It's a really actively engage in the 400 plus student organizations, Greek life, whatever motivates you or piques your interest, get involved. It doesn't take a lot of time throughout the week to do that, but those relationships that you make, and I see it in our alumni truly last a lifetime.

Kristi K.: So Matt, what would your 20 year old self have said, and would he have ever looked at that beautiful clock tower and said, Hey, someday I'm going to be seated there in University Hall running his place.

Yeah, the 20 year old Matt Schroeder couldn't even have told you where the president's office was. And that's true. And I think many of our students to this day, you know, they, they know that there's a president of the university but what does that person do, what does that individual really do in terms of adding value to the university?

Matt Schroeder: And one of the things that we've conscientiously focused on going back to May of 2024 is to get out there and engage with the students because our students they need to have interaction with. not only our faculty, but also our administration. They need to understand that, you know, we're all human, but most importantly, same with our patients that we're here for them, that every single thing we do on a daily basis is for the students or our patients.

If we can't correlate it back to our students and patients, then we should ask ourselves, why are we doing that? So the, the 20 something Matt Schroeder, what he knew at that time was Through various interactions with business leaders around town, I knew that a Toledo degree was a good thing, and I knew that a Toledo degree would be a game changer for me.

I could see it in the business leaders that graduated from here, I could see it in family members that graduated from here, and so I wanted to take advantage of that. And Toledo was the place for me, it was the place for my middle brother, and my younger brother. And I think my parents would say, We turned out okay.

Kristi K.: I think they would too. Absolutely. You know, you've had some good self awareness and you've had some good mentors. It sounds like as well at The University of Toledo. 

Matt Schroeder: I did and did. And those mentors you know, were successful in business, but they also knew how to have fun. And that's where I think as a leader and just living life in general, you have to strike a balance of.

Not only leading the institution, but doing it in a way where you're engaging and the students and all of our team members can have fun and at times laugh at ourselves, right? So important. Yeah. 

Kristi K.: Mm hmm. Now, many of our listeners may not know your career journey here at the university before you became interim president.

Tell us more about that. 

Matt Schroeder: Yeah. So I alluded to growing up on the health science campus and being well rounded. And so right out of undergrad at The University of Toledo started out with the Medical College of Ohio. And so. Yeah. Within the alumni and development world. So fundraising, a lot of alumni relations but from there moved on to more of the foundation operations side of the house.

At that time, right before the merger, the medical college was focusing on developing and growing a tech park. Those were the thing in their late nineties. So got into the real estate side of the university. The merger happens. Move over to the University of Toledo play a critical role not only in making the merger happen between the two foundations, but then operating the new foundation.

And then in 2015, Dr. Sharon Gaber, which we all know and love taps me on the shoulder to be chief of staff. From there, move in to CFO, and then here we are today. Here we are 

Kristi K.: today. Here 

Matt Schroeder: we are today. So I, I, I have been very fortunate through that journey, I guess on a couple fronts. Number one, career ladders at The University of Toledo are so important, and to give our young professionals opportunity to grow you know, it can often be difficult, but I've been blessed over my career to have different opportunities in two to three year chunks.

To really experience the whole institution but then also to take advantage of those opportunities and to do things that, you know, may or may not have been asked of me, but in, in the best interest of the university. And I think that that has been rewarded. And I, I take that very serious on a daily basis, not to let The University of Toledo down for me.

It's UToledo, first, all day, every day. 

Kristi K.: It's very personal for 

Matt Schroeder: you. It is. 

Kristi K.: Yeah, and you look at these things through such a different lens with that experience. So being president of a university in today's world, it takes a very special and unique leader. So if you could describe your leadership style and your philosophy, what is that?

And then how does that fit with such a unique and incredible university like UToledo? 

Matt Schroeder: Yeah. It does take a unique leader number one. And I look at not only higher ed, but also health care. Both industries are evolving tremendously, right? Health care is coming out of the pandemic. Same with higher ed.

But the value proposition for both right on the health care front. We're all consumers on the education front, also consumers and each want to understand if I'm going to it. Spend X. What am I going to get in return? And so to be a university president in 2025 as these two industries for the University of Toledo are changing, you have to focus on not only repositioning the university so that they're relevant in the next, you know, 2030 40 years but also be visionary.

So you're trying to stabilize and fix things. While also being aspirational and giving our employees, because we are a people organization direction, but also hope and over time delivering on those goals that support the vision for me personally at The University of Toledo and being president.

The people are what drive this organization, whether again, you're on the clinical side or the academic side. 80 percent of our spend is on people. And if you're not recognizing, if you're not promoting, and if you're not just simply embracing and empowering those individuals to make decisions and to affect change this organization is just too large for micromanaging.

And so my style with our team and really our top 60 leaders is to really provide some direction but let them do what they do, measure and hold accountable. And I think it's worked well for me over my career. 

Kristi K.: It certainly seems like a great fit for UToledo. 

Matt Schroeder: We're people, right? Yes. I mean, we are people, educating people, caring for people the human element is so important and all of us, and I believe our team, believes in the mission it's an opportunity to really take charge and, and to make things better than what we found.

Kristi K.: Yes. And you know, as we sit here on campus, I cannot help but notice the enthusiasm, the hustle, the bustle of the students. What makes you the most proud of the university from kind of a high level perspective? I know the students just, they truly shine here. 

Matt Schroeder: Yeah. For me, it's outcomes. And this past fall in December had the opportunity to lead our fall commencement.

And we saw 1, 700 plus students. Walk across that stage with a Toledo degree undergrad grad that is what should motivate all of us. And then on the clinical side, to see what we do with transplants, to get individuals off of dialysis to help folks ring the bell from a cancer standpoint. We are truly changing lives throughout the entire spectrum from, you know, direct from high school all the way through, you know, the twilight of an individual's, you know, years or life on planet.

Truly, 

Kristi K.: truly aspirational. 

Matt Schroeder: It is. I mean, there's no other place like Toledo and yes, you know, we talk about institutions of higher ed looking the same on paper. But what we have here is very different and it's something we should celebrate and talk about like we are today on a daily basis. 

Kristi K.: And you know, the energy here, I feel it as soon as I come on campus.

And I love your energy, your passion for the university, your drive to make this campus and this university the best that it can possibly be. So as you've stepped into this role. What one or two priorities have you set that you are already focusing on to really bring sort of that competitive advantage and new opportunities to UToledo?

Matt Schroeder: Yeah, absolutely. So my vision for The University of Toledo is to really be the regional force powering opportunities to learn, care, work, and play. We are a regional public university with a strong research presence, strong research arm. We need to lean into that. We need to embrace that. And so when I talk about learn, you know, one of the four legs of the stool learn is not only direct from high school, but it's really lifelong learning.

And we look at what Northwest Ohio in the tri state area needs. We are a net importer of talent. And so it's our responsibility to bring in the best and the brightest and to make sure that those students graduate. and they have an opportunity to retain here in the great state of Ohio for jobs and what our employers want on the care side.

You know, we talked about what we do at the bedside in the operating rooms. We are an academic medical center. I mean, you know, through a few of your family members, The talent that we bring in for not only medical school, nursing, P. T. O. T., P. A., etc. Most of those individuals stay, and with an aging provider population, not just our docs, but our P.

A. s, our nurse practitioners to be able to have an academic medical center in our backyard to care for our loved ones in the years to come. Is a game changer, not only for the university, but for Northwest Ohio. And again, that partnership with ProMedica, you have two leading institutions, leading employers coming together for the betterment of society. It's pretty special.

Kristi K.: You've got the four legs, so we have learn. care. And our third is work. Okay, let's hear about so work, economic development, workforce development. You know, we have just over a 2. 8 billion economic impact which is remarkable. We're one of the largest employers.

Matt Schroeder: But what do we do as it relates to making sure that this economy, this engine of Northwest Ohio continues, and that's through public private partnerships. That's through taking The research, the 72 plus million last year and translating that through licensing to make sure that we are meeting the needs of what corporate America and other employers want and need.

And then the fourth leg of the stool is play, which to me is the fun factor, right? And when you think of play, you immediately think of intercollegiate athletics and the domination that Toledo has had in the mid American conference for a number of years now. You know, Todd with men's basketball right now in season, go out, enjoy men's basketball, searching for a five peat genie who's taken over the women's program.

The performance that they've had so far, get out and enjoy a women's game, align with the igniters and cheer them on. And then obviously what Jason has done with football. And how he capped off the season, which would, which was a remarkable win over pits. And a win that only at a university like Toledo, where you go into six overtimes.

The national coverage , that generated, you cannot pay or buy that, right? 

Kristi K.: How fun 

was that? 

Matt Schroeder: Super fun. Super fun. 

Kristi K.: And we're going to talk more about athletics in a future podcast for sure. Absolutely. And all of the above. 

Matt Schroeder: Yes. 

Kristi K.: Yes. This is great. So the four prongs to the stool, what a great vision that you have.

And I want to ask you how well positioned the University of Toledo is in addressing some of the pressing needs of the future. And when I say that, I mean things like. AI, technology, engineering, economics, the environment, pharma, all of the above. How so? 

Matt Schroeder: Yeah. So let's start with just innovation in general.

And if you go back in time to July of 24, we had the governor and the lieutenant governor in town, right? Two of Ohio's greatest leaders and they were here for the innovation hub. And what a remarkable opportunity to not only receive just over 31 million in funding, but But as you know, The partnership behind that, how business came together with the universities to really take an idea and what we're known for, right?

We're the glass capital of the world at the university of Toledo. We have our right center for photovoltaics, PVIC. We have done some of the best work internationally as it relates to solar and to have recognition from the governor and lieutenant governor supported by funding. To bring together five corporate entities, the University of Toledo and others to expand upon research around glass.

Truly, truly special not only for the University of Toledo but really for the state of Ohio and this region to be the first innovation hub. And excited about what that looks like in the future. 

Kristi K.: And you just don't see that at any university across this country, frankly. 

Matt Schroeder: Yeah, no, you don't. And that's where universities often fall down is we talk a good game about working with, you know, fortune 500, fortune 200 companies.

And then as soon as universities get in the room and then it gets to the point where, all right, let's deliver. universities often can't get it across the finish line because they either get in their own way or they take too long. What that award and what that partnership recognizes is the ability, despite maybe the perception of universities, the ability of Toledo to be nimble and to with Corporate America and with our VP of Research Sponsored Programs Innovation, what they've been able to do to make that a reality.

Love it. Absolutely love it. 

Kristi K.: Same here. Wow. It's impressive to hear about. Now there are so many opportunities like that, that we have incorporated in a five year strategic plan. Is there one particular priority that you would like to focus on? I know you could only, now you can only pick one. 

Matt Schroeder: Yeah.

 So for me and, you know, with my personal connection to this university.

is I want to make sure that the University of Toledo is positioned for success going forward. And how do we position for success is really comes down to who are we and what do we do well and how do we differentiate ourselves. I say that all the time, but it's so important. And we talk about one of 18 in the country based on our professional programs, based on the academic medical center.

But we are in a unique opportunity where we have to begin to prioritize. And. For me, what we've been doing over the last year or so tied to prioritization on the academic side is critically important. I mean, we have over 200 degree programs. We have to, and we've begun to do this, really look at the market and listen.

What is the market telling us in terms of what they need? And you touched on it a little bit earlier with AI, with the sciences, the engineering, the math, the health care piece. We have to be ready. We have to be willing as an institution to pivot to meet the needs of the workforce. And we're in a very, very good position right now with the degrees that we, or the graduates that we are turning out in the degree fields.

When we look at in demand job data, Bureau of Labor Statistics, et cetera, we are turning out the graduates, but we need to continue to be on that leading edge. And that's where I get excited, and that's where we are spending a lot of time is. Is focusing on what we do well and owning that. We are blessed with a strong College of Engineering. We're blessed with the health sciences, NSM, natural science and mathematics and so many more pharmacy and go on and on. The barrier to entry for a university to start up some of these programs is nearly impossible in 2025.

We now need to invest in those that are growing. 

Kristi K.: Those are excellent indicators and benchmarks for the success of the university, particularly in the next five years or so. Something that I noticed is also a big differentiator is the fabulous UToledo alum population. Yeah. I mean, they tell an impressive story of success collectively.

How would you describe the alumni at the University of Toledo? 

Matt Schroeder: Great question. Something we talked about in a pregame event up in Detroit before the bowl game. How I would describe our alumni, and I see it in you, I see it in me I see it in pretty much all of our grads, is more often than not, they were never given anything in life.

Right. They're here for a reason. They're here to better themselves, better their family. So I see great resolve, resilience, grit, and determination in our alumni. They are here to get that degree. They are here to sharpen their skill set and to make sure that from a social mobility standpoint, yes, you know, the common talking point, a million dollars more over your career if you get an undergraduate degree, Our alumni want more than that.

They want to change the world. They want to advance society and they don't expect anybody to give that to them. And so that's what gets me excited. And as an employer, I'd rather have a Toledo grad all day long over somebody that was out at an Ivy League that, Leaguer. I want somebody that's hungry to really impact not only the business, but For profit, non profit that they work for, but to really change lives.

That's what gets me excited when I talk to UT alumni, because I see it in each and every one of our grads. 

Kristi K.: So Matt, what is one thing about the University of Toledo that you want people to know that they may not know?

Matt Schroeder: Number one, we are Toledo's university. Number two, you have a jewel in your backyard. And so often folks will come up to me. Hey, how can we help? What can we do? And my response is take a look at the University of Toledo. I think a lot of folks don't know what goes on behind sort of the ivory tower.

And they also don't know how accessible some of the things that we have here are. And so number one, take a look, and I would guarantee that you'll be surprised. Also, when it comes to the college experience there's a lot of really, really good things going on at Toledo. We talked about the 400 student orgs.

We talked about a strong Greek life outside of the classroom. And I, I bucketed into, you know, thirds, if you're a student here. You spend a third of your time in the classroom, you spend a third of your time engaging in student organizations and other activities on campus, and then you spend a third of your time doing other things.

And in many cases, it's working, caring for your family or dealing with things that just pop up in life. And so for me at Toledo it is a remarkable institution with a very low barrier to entry. And I say that in a strong, meaningful way. And at the end of the day, you come out with a degree that is only going to grow from a value standpoint and indebtedness, which is extremely low compared to not only our peers but other institutions that often kids within 200 miles consider.

So you have a value that grows over your lifetime or degree that grows over your lifetime along with low indebtedness. Love that. Excellent value proposition. So now I have a few random response questions, quick response. So our listeners can get to know you better. Are you ready for this? If you weren't in academia, what would you be doing?

Entrepreneur. Finding something that I could do from a business standpoint. Be my own boss out there do my thing. 

Kristi K.: Love it. Tell us about your family. Okay. 

Matt Schroeder: Very fortunate to have a very loving and caring wife and Jill. We love Jill. Yep. We love Jill. Two daughters, Paige and Libby, 15 and 12. Just so lucky to have them support me in everything I do. I mean, these are long days, long hours well worth it, but could not do it without them.

Kristi K.: You are blessed. 

Matt Schroeder: I am. Thank you. 

Kristi K.: If you had a day loaded with free time, what would you do first? 

Matt Schroeder: Sleep. 

Kristi K.: What is one tradition that you would love to start at UToledo? 

Matt Schroeder: I would love to find a tradition where we could in a safe way activate the river coupled with, you know, one of those beautiful fall days around a football game.

I think about You know, back in the 80s when, you know, the Ottawa River was an event in and of itself. Obviously have to do that in a safe way in 2025, but just a natural resource flowing literally through the middle of our campus. I think there's some fun things that we could do with that. 

Kristi K.: I like the vision.

Matt Schroeder: Yeah.

Kristi K.: If you could bring one famous person past or present here on campus to speak, who would it be? Who would it be? And why? 

Matt Schroeder: Given the timing of this podcast and given how influential he was I would say Dr. Martin Luther King and the reason being, and we just had a gathering with our partners at the city of Toledo the courage that Dr. King showed throughout his lifetime, especially the public facing part of his life. To take on the hard conversations because at the end of the day, you know, that made us better as a society and some of the things that we have to do here as the, as a university require the courage, require those tough conversations, and I think we could learn a lot from him.

Kristi K.: Final rapid response question. What is one nugget in this very first Powering You Toledo show that you would like to leave our listeners with? 

Matt Schroeder: We are Toledo's University. As your interim president I am here not only for our students are inpatients, but for Toledo. I am very easily approachable.

I think Kristi, what we're going to develop together through this podcast, I think will bring in not only the human element, hopefully we're able to laugh together and really showcase some of the remarkable things that we're doing in a very casual and fun light. So I would say stay tuned.

We're going to have fun. We're going to showcase a lot of really talented people and showcase a lot of the programs and offerings that we have here that many people don't even know about. 

Kristi K.: I love it. I can't wait to be on this journey with you, Matt Schroeder. And that, friends and colleagues, is a wrap, as I like to say, on this first episode of Powering UToledo.

I'm Kristi K. with Matt Schroeder, our interim president, wishing you powerful opportunities and unlimited potential. Also want to remind you, don't forget to check us out online at utoledo. edu and on social media, all of the different places where you listen to your podcasts. It's Matt Schroeder and Kristi K reminding you that we need you.

We invite you in and we love to meet you until we meet again. We leave you with this. Are you ready, Matt? T O L. 

Matt Schroeder: E D O. 

Kristi K.: Let's go. 

Matt Schroeder: Let's go.