The food drive at Schnuck’s for this weekend has been cancelled. There will be a new one re-scheduled and details about that food drive will come out shortly.

The Office of Human Resources will begin processing W-2’s soon, which will be issued to employees no later than January 31.  Just like last year, we are pleased to announce that you can choose one of two options to receive your W-2:
• Electronic W-2 – If you provide your consent, you will receive an e-mail notification via AceNotes Extra that your W-2 is ready to view/print on WebAdvisor.
• Paper W-2 – If you prefer, you can continue to receive a paper W-2 in the mail, as you have in the past.

Among the advantages of electronic W-2’s: (1) you will have access to your W-2 a couple days earlier than a paper copy that is mailed to your home (2) you can print as many copies of the W-2 as you need.  The electronic W-2 is IRS compliant and can be submitted with your tax return.

To take advantage of the electronic W-2 option, you must log onto WebAdvisor and select the option “W-2 Electronic Consent.” Click the first radio button to give your consent.   You will not receive paper W-2 in the mail if you select the electronic W-2 option.  If you previously gave your consent for the electronic W-2 option, there is nothing you need to do.

If you choose to withhold your consent to view/print your online W-2, a paper copy will be prepared and mailed to you at your home address. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159. 

Everyone is welcome to join the Newman Club for Mass tonight in Neu Chapel. Father Chris Forler, pastor of two parishes east of Evansville and a UE alumnus, will be the celebrant. Mass begins at 9:30 p.m., with the Rosary and an opportunity for Confession starting at 9:00 p.m. Contact Newman Center director Mike Roesch at mr201 for more information.
 

All members of the campus and local community are encouraged to attend I-House: Nigeria. Attendees will learn about another culture, lifestyle, food, and so much more. Bring your friends to enjoy the presentation and complimentary cookies this Wednesday at 7 pm. on the second floor of Ridgway University Center in the Class of 1959 Gallery.

Adventist Campus Ministries will be having Bible study on Wednesday night from 7-8 pm in Room153 (Eades Music Room) in the McCurdy Wing of Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building.

This week's discussion is Capital Punishment. What were the methods and reasons for punishment during Biblical times? How does that apply today?

Anyone is welcome to attend and you can contact: Alexandra Statham (as509@evansville.edu) for more details.
 

Students who earned Dean’s List status for Autumn Semester 2012 are recognized in an exhibit at UE Libraries’ entry level.  Students merit the honor of begin named to the Dean’s List at the conclusion of each semester by earning a semester grade point average of 3.5 on a four point scale while carrying a full academic course load of at least twelve hours excluding Pass/Fail courses.  Exhibit continues through February 4.
 

The Classical Guitar Concert Series continues its season in Wheeler Concert Hall this Friday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by Daniel Bolshoy.  The Canadian-born guitarist has performed for many prestigious festivals including the Halifax Guitar Festival, the Indian River Music Festival, the Festival des arts Boré-Art, the International Music Festival in Macao, and the Ottawa and Vancouver International Chamber Music Festivals.

He has toured under the auspices of Prairie Debut, Debut Atlantic, Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, and Musique Royale and has performed for the Début Series in Montreal and Vancouver and the CBC/NAC Début series in Ottawa. His recitals are frequently broadcast on CBC Radio, and he has also appeared in two documentary films for the Bravo! (TV) series, The Classical Now.  Recent orchestral appearances include performances of concertos by Rodrigo, Ponce, Kernis, and Castelnuovo-Tedesco with the Mexico City Philharmonic, the Toronto Philharmonia, the New Mexico Symphony, the Vancouver Philharmonic, and the Beer Sheva Symphoniette (Israel), and he has also appeared on four commercially released albums.

Bolshoy currently teaches guitar at Concordia University in Montreal and regularly offers masterclasses to guitar societies and educational institutions internationally. He frequently performs outreach and educational concerts for young people and continues to perform solo and chamber music recitals in Canada’s most prestigious venues. Bolshoy’s UE performance will include works by Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, Michael Karmon, Agustín Barrios Mangoré, and Sergio Assad. 

This event is co-sponsored by the University of Evansville and the Classical Guitar Society of Evansville. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for students. UE students will be admitted at no charge with a valid student ID.

BRAINSTORM!!  is coming to the Department of Music this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 24-26.  BRAINSTORM!! is a series of lectures and interactive sessions presented by guest speaker, Ruth Meints. Ms. Meints is an active member of the Learning and the Brain Society, a group of leading neuro-scientists and educators who meet regularly to share the newest research findings on how we learn, motivation, and effective applications of research to the educational experience.

BRAINSTORM!! begins with an introductory lecture on Thursday morning at 11:00 a.m. in Wheeler Concert Hall  and continues on Friday afternoon (4:00 – 7:00 p.m.) and Saturday evening (5:00 – 8:00 p.m.) in Krannert Fine Arts Room 142. 

Sessions are free and open to the public, and it is not necessary to attend every event in the series to participate. For more information contact Carol Dallinger at cd23@evansville.edu.

Assistant Professor of Voice Stacey Uthe will be traveling to Owensboro, KY, for a performance with pianist Sharon Hudson on the campus of Brescia University. The concert will include both keyboard and vocal works by Bach, Handel, Puccini, and Chopin and will take place in the Taylor Lecture Hall (Science Bldg.) on Thursday, January 24, at 7:00 p.m. The recital is free and open to the public.

You have 3 more days till registration closes for Nerd Wars!!

The Annual Nerd Wars Trivia Night Fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, February 12 at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp 251-252!, Ridgway University Center. The proceedings from Nerd Wars will be going to Albion Fellows Bacon Center and the Honors Program’s new outreach program.

Teams of up to 5 people will compete in a trivia night style competition consisting of six rounds of 10 questions each from 12 different categories. The team that correctly answers the most questions will be the winner! There will be prizes for the winning student team and the winning faculty team, as well as other prizes throughout the night!

We are accepting the first 34 teams so to be sure to organize your team asap to ensure your place in the Nerd Wars competition. 

We are also having the Nerdiest Costume Contest again.  So pull out the suspenders and the Steve Urkle glasses to accentuate your inner geek. Both singles and team entries are allowed.

Sign up forms are available in Lesa Hofferth’s office (KC 238) to register.  You can also send her an email (lh70) with your team name, team members, and shirt sizes and then drop by her office to turn in your money.  Teams must register by Friday, January 25; it is $5 per person to register. Get your geek on!!!
 

“Transitions to Professionalism:  New Career” luncheon and workshop is set for Tuesday, Feb. 5 from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
Transitioning to a new career can be exciting, as well as, overwhelming.  Join Fred Cox, director of compensation and benefits at Vectren Corporation and UE instructor, to learn tips to help ease your transition and prepare you for success.  A complimentary luncheon will be provided with an RSVP to ds120@evansville.edu by Jan. 28. The luncheon & workshop will be in Eykamp 253 and 254, Ridgway University Center. 

This event is sponsored by the Office of Veterans Affairs, UE VETS (Veterans Education Transition Support), and AES (Adult Education Society) student organizations in collaboration with UE Center for Career Development. 

Watch for more Transitions to Professionalism workshops:
February 26 - “Résumé Writing” with Director of Career Services Gene Wells
April 2 – “Mixing and Mingling Your Way to a Job” with Theatre Marketing Director Sharla Cowden
 

The February OSA luncheon will be held on February 12. Our guest speaker is Carol McClintock, broker associate at F.C. Tucker Emge Realty and wife of Mayor Lloyd Winnecke ’82. She will share her career success and give us details about being the wife of the mayor. Lunch includes vegetable lasagna, red velvet cake, and more. The cost is $8.75. Please sign up for the lunch whether brown-bagging it or purchasing your lunch  to Kim Flener at kf129 or ext. 2852 no later than February 8.

Are you a runner? Are you interested in training to run a mini–marathon (13.1miles)? If so, tie up your running shoes and join TEAM UE for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and Mini- Marathon on Saturday, April 27.  An informational meeting is scheduled for  Wednesday, January 30 in the Fitness Center Lobby at 5:00pm. In the meantime, you may visit the link www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com  to view race, course and training information. Please contact Jeff Chestnut (jc56) or Angie Stauber (as547) if you are interested in joining  TEAM UE.

Students affiliated with the military (veterans, active duty, reservists, ROTC cadets, friends and family members of veterans) are invited to a special welcome reception hosted by the Office of Veterans Affairs on Thursday, January 24. The event will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Dunigan Lounge in the McCurdy Wing of Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. Light sandwiches and refreshments will be served.  Supportive faculty, staff, and administrators will join us at the beginning.  We will follow with a meeting about UE VETS student veteran organization.  If you can attend, even if briefly, please RSVP to Cherie Leonhardt at cl29 or 488-2141. Hope to see you there!
 

In honor of our February 21 Coffee Hour, the Department of Creative Writing announces its Jack London Writing Contest. We will be accepting essays or stories.

The essays or stories can be on any subject. The entries are judged on content and form, with an emphasis on creativity. However, we are looking for stories that imitate, honor, or suggest any stories or essays by Jack London. Stories and essays should be typed, double-spaced, and may not exceed 5,000 words. 

The writing contest winners will be announced prior February 21 with the first place winner receiving $100, the second place winner receiving $75, and the third place winner receiving $50. The first place winner will read from his/her work at the February 21 Coffee Hour.

Email your submissions to Professor Margaret McMullan: mm44@evansville.edu
Deadline for contest submissions: Feb. 1, 2013.

Good luck!

John Roberts, senior vice president and director of research at Hilliard Lyons, will be speaking on January 28 in Smythe Lecture Hall (Room 170), Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building at 4.00 p.m. The title of his presentation will be “Life as an analyst and 2013 Market outlook”. John has been ranked as one of the leading analyst by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes magazine. Hilliard Lyons is one of the nation’s oldest investment firms which focus on the creation, preservation and distribution of its clients’ wealth.

The event is open to public.       

The Men’s Soccer program is looking for one or more student managers for this Spring. Duties include helping at practices and matches, handling practice clothing and uniforms, and laundry. A scholarship is available. Contact Coach Marshall Ray at ext.1015 or mr32.

Whitney Noland has been hired as the University of Evansville’s grants manager, a new position dedicated to securing and maintaining grant support for the UE community. She comes to the University from Evansville ARC, where she served as the annual fund and grants coordinator.

“The University faculty and administrators already have a successful track record of securing funding for research and scholarship activities,” Noland said. “With the creation of the new Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs, I believe there will be even more engagement with sponsored programs, which will help make the UE community even better.” 

At UE, Noland’s responsibilities will include managing the proposal submission and administration processes for grants and contracts from governmental organizations and private foundations, maintaining relationships with external grant managers and program officers of funding agencies, coordinating pre- and post-award activities and ensuring post-award compliance, and researching grant opportunities for UE faculty and administrators.

Before joining the University of Evansville in December 2012, Noland worked in the grant and technical communication fields for the nonprofit sector in southern Indiana and central Illinois, where her work included writing grant proposals and technical documents, copywriting and editing, and graphic design.

Noland holds a Master of Arts in English with a concentration in professional writing from Eastern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Southern Indiana.

Employee Healthy Lifestyle Challenge to Begin Jan. 28
A new Healthy Lifestyle Challenge for employees and spouses will begin Jan. 28. This challenge focuses on obtaining or maintaining a healthy weight.  $50 gift cards will be awarded in 4 areas. If you still need HRA credit, completion of this challenge will earn $150 credit for the HRA account, too.  Complete rules are available on AceLink>Human Resources>Wellness>Healthy Lifestyle Challenge or see the nurse on Monday, Jan. 28, 1 - 3 p.m., in Krannert Lobby to register.


Flu Shots Available on Campus
Flu shots will also be available Jan. 28, 1 - 3 p,m. in Krannert Lobby.   Anyone 18 years of age or older may receive a shot.  The cost is $15 exact cash or check payable to the University of Evansville.

Seniors - apply for graduation now! If you are graduating in May or December 2013 and have not yet completed an Application for Degree card in the Registrar's Office, you should do so immediately. Completing this card is a requirement of graduation and notifies the appropriate offices of your intent to graduate. You can complete a card anytime during business hours in the Office of the Registrar in Olmsted Hall, Room 106.

January 21 -  Summer 2013 registration opens for current UE students. Drop/add forms are available in the Registrar’s Office. Additional information is available on the Registrar’s website.

January 14-28 - Drop a class with a “W” grade. Drop/add forms must be stamped by Financial Aid and Student
Accounts. The instructor’s signature is required.
 

Nominations for the 2013 Outstanding Teacher Award are NOW being accepted.

Each year during Spring Commencement, the UE Alumni Association recognizes one Outstanding Teacher for exemplary teaching and student service. Students, faculty, administrators, staff, and alumni may nominate a teacher they feel exemplifies the award’s stated goals of “encouraging outstanding teaching and the inclusion of students in as many facets of academic life as possible.”

Take a couple of minutes to honor a professor who you feel exemplifies teaching excellence with a nomination. The Outstanding Teacher Award form can be found at http://www.evansville.edu/alumni/outstandingTeacher.cfm. Please complete your nomination by Thursday, January 31, 2013. If you have any questions you can email Jennifer Graban at jg54@evansville.edu or call #2509.

Eligible Professors
Full-time faculty who have taught in the classroom at UE for at least two years and hold the rank of lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor or professor are eligible to be nominated. 

(Past recipients within the last 5 years, ‘08 William Stroube; ‘09 James MacLeod; ‘10 Jeff Tilly; ’11 James Berry,  and ’12 Mari Plikuhn are not eligible).

Looking to put a stop to a two-game losing streak, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will be back at the Ford Center to face Bradley on Wednesday evening.

Set for a 7:05 p.m. tip, Wednesday’s contest will feature a special ticket promotion.  The higher the attendance at the Bradley game, the bigger the discount will be for the game against Northern Iowa, as fans will receive $1 off a regular priced adult ticket for every 1,000 fans in attendance.  For example, if 9,000 fans pack the Ford Center for the Jan. 23 game against the Braves, Aces’ fans will receive a $9 discount on tickets to the Northern Iowa game.

Even when his shot is not falling, Colt Ryan has done everything in his power to keep the Aces rolling and help out his squad; despite shooting 10-of-30 in the last two games, the senior has averaged 22 points while recording eight assists against four turnovers.  His efforts were boosted by draining 22 out of 24 free throw attempts including a perfect 16-16 performance at Drake.  Since the Dec. 22 contest at Butler, Ryan has averaged 22.3 points per game and has
registered at least 13 points in each contest.

Senior Troy Taylor has continued to improve as his career rounds the home stretch; in MVC games, Taylor leads UE in assists and rebounding while ranking second in steals and fourth in scoring; also in that stretch was the first 3-game streak with ten or more points in his UE career.   The point guard has averaged 9 rebounds in the Valley outings, second behind Jackie  Carmichael’s total of 11.3/gm; he has led the Aces in rebounding in six out of seven league games this season and while hauling in at least six in each one.

Coming off of a 9-25 showing in 2011-12, which included a 2-16 league mark, Bradley has turned it around this season as it comes to Evansville with a 12-7 overall mark and a 4-3 record in the Valley.  Three of BU’s next four games will be on the road as they begin the trek with its 41st all-time meeting against UE.

The Braves force an average of 10.8 steals per game while forcing the opposition into a turnover on 24% of its possessions, first in the league and tenth in the country; on the offensive end, Bradley does a solid job of taking care of the ball, averaging just 11.9 turnovers/game, a total that is 54th in the nation. 

The duo of Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Walt Lemon Jr. rank in the top 30 nationally in steals per game; Edwards is third with an amazing 3.26 steals while Lemon is 27th overall with 2.26.  Walt Lemon Jr. is one of three Braves averaging double figures as he leads the way with 13.8 points per game, he is a solid 45.2% shooter and leads the squad with an 80% free throw rate; Dyricus Simms-Edwards averages 11.8 points while Tyshon Pickett checks in with 10.9; Pikcett leads the way with 5.9 rebounds per contest.

Bradley leads the overall series against the Aces by a 23-17 margin.  Evansville has won 13 out of 20 home games but has fallen in 15 out of 18 games in Peoria.  The squads have split a pair of MVC Tournament meetings.

A trip to Normal, Ill. is on tap for UE as they will face Illinois State on Saturday.  The meeting at Redbird Arena will begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised on the MVC Network.

University of Evansville sophomore forward Mallory Ladd was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week in an announcement by the league office Tuesday afternoon following her performances in the Purple Aces’ wins at Illinois State and Indiana State last week.  The weekly MVC honor is the third for Ladd this season and her second-straight MVC Newcomer of the Week selection.

Ladd led Evansville (6-10, 4-1 MVC) by recording her sixth-straight double-double against the Redbirds, recording a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds.  The sophomore forward finished in double figures with 10 points and pulled down four rebounds in 19 minutes of action against the Sycamores.  In addition, Ladd sank all seven of her free throw attempts to run her streak of consecutive free throws to 44, tying her for the second-longest streak in Missouri Valley Conference history. 

The Evansville native finished 6-for-9 from the floor, 3-for-4 from behind the arc and blocked a career-high four shots at Illinois State, before going 3-for-4 from the field and 4-for-4 at the charity stripe at Indiana State.

At 4-1 in the Valley, the Aces are off to their best start in conference play since the 2006-07, when they started an identical 4-1.  UE will return to the hardwood Friday, Jan. 25, when it welcomes Missouri State to the Ford Center for an 11 a.m. contest.