Maria Bolten — A Woman of Many Talents

Besides recognizing National Women’s History Month, UC also celebrates its present and future women. Meet Maria Bolten.

Maria Bolten has seen UC from many angles: as a student, as a student worker, as a staff member, as a child of a staff member and a sister of a current student. Maria has made good use of UC’s tuition benefits. Now a business manager for psychiatry at the Academic Health Center, Maria received her bachelor’s degree in political science and her MBA in marketing.

Maria Bolten enjoys working with the psychiatry department.

“UC is a great place to work,” says Maria. “The growth is amazing!” But what brought this Walnut Hills grad here in the first place was all that UC has to offer, including UC’s “excellent academics,” she says. “I like also what the community offers, especially arts and amenities both on and off campus.” Maria especially enjoys working in psychiatry.

“Dr. Randy Hillard is a visionary,” she says. She notes that Dr. Hillard has greatly influenced the growth of the department's programs. “I know we get about $14 million in federal funding each year.”

Maria knows about community, too. She volunteers for the James J. Espy Club of Lower Price Hill, one of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Greater Cincinnati. The UC Committee for the Advancement of Women sponsored Maria for the United Way Leadership Development Program. She also volunteers with the One Way Farm and Tender Mercies. 

When Maria was a student at Walnut Hills High School, she participated in drill team and color guard. She admits that her nemesis continues to be any sport involving a ball.

"You don’t find many 5’2½” dunkers,” she says, laughing.

Maria Bolten and her father, Patrick — another proud UC family

So, still loving activity, Maria found another passion: tae kwon do. Like her father before her, Maria studies with Grand Master Il-Kwon Kim and is currently a brown belt. Her father, Patrick Bolten, is known to most as a mild-mannered UC staff member. However, he is also one of Grand Master Kim’s most trusted (and somewhat feared) black belt instructors. Maria’s brother, Patrick, an undergraduate at UC, is currently a reservist in Germany with the Army.

In addition to her other interests, Maria is currently the program chair for the AAPW: Academic, Administrative and Professional Women. According to their Web page, “AAPW is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to establish a forum for sharing and discussion of issues concerning academic, administrative and professional women as a campus group.” This month they are celebrating their 30th anniversary at the University of Cincinnati. (For more info about this event, visit the AAPW Web page.)

“The benefits of belonging to the AAPW are many,” says Maria. “Networking, forming new relationships, learning how campus operates, knowing who to call with questions or problems, attending social events and having access to beneficial programming that is relevant to the needs of women, such as leadership forums.”

Now she’s looking to help other women get connected.

“If you want to join the AAPW or suggest an event, please let me know!”

Celebrate 30 years of professional women at UC with the AAPW, on March 23, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the African American Cultural and Research Center.