Akron Magazine

Modeled after “Sister Cities” that were launched by President Dwight Eisenhower’s administration in 1956 to help cities share best practices, the collaboration of a sister university will help to bring the best support and resources to APS students to empower them and help them to navigate the future of college and career.

“We are grateful for this latest collaboration, which continues a reciprocal relationship between Akron Public Schools and the University that extends back to 1915,” said Dr. John Green, UA's interim president.

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The Hlas family of Copley, all graduates of UA, competed on "Family Feud" on Oct. 17 and won!

Marketing themselves as the fun, lovable family from Northeast Ohio with children who never want to move out, the family team is pictured above with host Steve Harvey. From left are sons Matthew Hlas, due to graduate in 2020 in chemical engineering; and Joey Hlas ’17, electrical engineering technology; daughters Breanna Hlas ’17, biomedical engineering; and Shana Hlas ’17, marketing and sales management; with Joe Hlas ’85, father, electronic engineering technology.

The family members auditioned back in October 2017 at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky after submitting an application and fun audition tape. They participated in a mock round against other families and did so well that they were invited to complete the interview round.

After their tryout, they were told to wait for a postcard in the mail and if they received that, they would be in the active file to be called. A few weeks later, they received an e-mail with a list of dates to choose from, and on March 9 they got a phone call from the show with details on the date to fly out to Los Angeles for the taping.

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Former Cincinnati Reds' third baseman Chris Sabo will be the Zips' head baseball coach.

"We are excited to welcome Chris Sabo to the University of Akron," Director of Athletics Larry Williams said. "His illustrious playing career demonstrates his mastery of the fine details of the game. He also has extraordinary leadership skills and the proven ability to teach, coach, and motivate young athletes. His work ethic, drive, and commitment to excellence made him the perfect fit to lead the Zips' baseball program."

Sabo has spent the last four years as the manager at IMG Academy in Florida. His team, which was nationally ranked No. 2 in 2015, was ranked No. 5 last spring. Ten of his IMG players were drafted into Major League Baseball.

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Following Board of Trustees approval of the renaming of the Student Union in February, the building officially adopted the name Jean Hower Taber Student Union over the summer.

Jean Hower Taber passed away in 2017 and left an estate gift of more than $20 million to the University. The gift is being used to support Hower House and scholarships in The Drs. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Honors College and the Department of Audiology. It was in 1970 that the Hower family donated to UA the 28-room Hower House mansion, located on the north side of campus at 60 Fir Hill.

A celebration will be held later this year after a story-like permanent display about Jean Hower Taber is installed in the Union near the Starbucks Lounge entrance.

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Andrea’s savings from part-time and summer jobs during high school got him started freshman year but the prospect of covering four years of tuition, books and fees through part-time jobs seemed overwhelming. Fortunately, Andrea received a small scholarship during his sophomore year that eased his financial burden.

“Those four years at the University of Akron changed my life,” Andrea recalls. “They opened up new horizons for me. They made me realize I could do anything I wanted to do and that I could have the kind of life I never thought possible."

“It’s my hope that this scholarship will have the same impact on many future students that my scholarship had on me,” Andrea says. “I like to think of it as a gift that will reap benefits for others long after I’m gone.”

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It happens every day — paramedics and police officers being called upon to save the life of a person overdosing on deadly opiates. Safety nets like Narcan (a drug that reverses an overdose) exist to protect the victim, but what about the first responders who put their lives at risk to save another?

For that, Dr. Abraham Joy, an associate professor of polymer science at The University of Akron, is developing a solution.

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See everything for Zips Athletics and E.J. Thomas Hall.

Class notes