Rocket Alumnus Leads UToledo as Interim President
The University of Toledo Alumni Association is proud to feature UToledo’s Interim President, Matthew Schroeder ’98, in this season’s Alumni eMagazine. Schroeder was named as interim president during a special Board of Trustees meeting this past April and began his tenure on May 20, 2024.
Schroeder is the third Rocket alumnus to serve as the University president after Dr. Raymond Carter ’1919, ’1922, who was inaugurated in 1947, and John Stoepler ’61, who served as interim president for five months in 1988. A proud member of a Rocket legacy family, he attended UToledo like his father and two younger brothers.
The lifelong Toledoan decided to stay close to home and attend The University of Toledo because of the school’s reputation for quality, affordable education. While he was working at a local country club during high school, he interacted with business leaders from Northwest Ohio who were Rocket alumni. Their careers and success proved to Schroeder that you did not need a degree from an Ivy League school to earn a great living – instead, the answer was in his backyard.
Life as a Rocket
As an undergraduate at UToledo, Schroeder focused on his grades and worked two to three jobs to make ends meet. When time allowed, he always loved attending Rocket Athletic events. The atmosphere and fans cheering for the midnight blue and gold is something not many alumni forget.
“This institution is near and dear to my heart.”
– Matthew Schroeder ’98, The University of Toledo Interim President
After he graduated in 1998, Schroeder began his career as Associate Director of Development at the Medical College of Ohio, which merged with UToledo in 2006, working with alumni and real estate. He then moved to The University of Toledo Foundation from 2007 – 2015 where he served as the vice president of real estate and business development and chief operating officer. During that time, he developed and implemented policies and procedures to improve efficiencies and overall customer service. He also served as a liaison to the Foundation Board of Trustees and increased scholarship and endowment fund utilization, among other achievements.
After his experience at the Foundation, he spent four years as the chief of staff to former UToledo President Sharon L. Gaber leading strategic priorities, overseeing government relations and the University’s response to critical issues.
Since January 2019, Schroeder has supported UToledo as executive vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer where he oversaw the finance, budget, facilities, auxiliaries, information technology, human resources, public safety and compliance functions.
During the interview for this article, Schroeder agreed that his time as interim president is a “full circle moment” as a Rocket. Investing his career in UToledo has been guided by wanting to work at an organization that is mission-driven, as well as the opportunity to “pay it back” as a Toledoan.
His favorite UToledo memories, either as a student or throughout his career, include meeting great people from all walks of life who inspired and motivated him to grow; witnessing UToledo receive national recognition in research and other academic accomplishments; and watching Rocket Athletics continue to succeed over the years, filling campus and the surrounding communities with Toledo Pride.
Approaching the Helm
“Having the opportunity to not only take advantage of everything that The University of Toledo had to offer me as a student, but now in the role that I’m in, having the ability to help reposition the University as the regional force powering opportunities to learn, care, work and play is, especially at this point in Toledo’s history, very humbling,” Schroeder said.
“I am honored the Board of Trustees have placed their confidence in me to lead our institution during a time of great opportunity for this University as we rise to the current challenges facing higher education and healthcare while setting ourselves apart as a leader,” he continued. “I understand the importance of UToledo to our students, patients, faculty, staff and to the greater Toledo community. We are committed to not just maintaining but enhancing our status as an excellent public research university and academic medical center.”
Since Schroeder took the reigns this past May, he has:
- Overseen the demolition of Palmer Hall on the engineering campus, which will be turned into a new academic quadrangle bringing much-needed green space to that area of campus.
- Participated in the groundbreaking for the new pedestrian bridge that will more directly connect the University’s engineering buildings to the rest of Main Campus
- Signed a joint degree agreement between UToledo College of Law and Adrian College, creating a pathway for students to simultaneously earn a juris doctor from UToledo and a master of arts in criminal justice from Adrian College.
- Officially introduced women’s rowing as UToledo’s 17th varsity sport.
- Launched a new brand embracing the impact UToledo has as both a public research institution and an academic medical center under one identity – The Power To Do.
“We’ve made a lot of changes,” he summarized. “There’s more change that needs to be done, which is okay as long as it ties back to where we want to go. That answer, I think, is to be a regional force that’s active in the academic and healthcare spaces, supporting economic development by creating jobs and bringing talent in to meet workforce needs, and promoting play, which includes athletics and having our campuses be a destination for the community. Beyond the ivory tower and the collegiate gothic architecture, there’s a lot of amazing things going on at The University of Toledo.”
A Call to Rocket Alumni
So where do our UToledo alumni fit in the interim president’s strategy?
“Our alumni are the University’s greatest ambassadors,” Schroeder said. “They have gone on to change the world. UToledo has an obligation to engage and support them throughout their entire life.” What we hope, in return, is that Rocket alumni will continue sharing their Rocket experiences with those around them, helping spread the positive impact and experiences happening on our campuses and in our beloved city.