University of Evansville trustee Wayne Davidson, 83, died at home in Naples, Fla., on December 24, after being diagnosed with cancer this past June. A graduate of Reitz High School (1949) and UE (1956), he served in the U.S. Army from 1953 until 1955.

Davidson began his career as a sales representative with Mead Johnson and Company. After a series of positions, with increasing responsibilities, he became president and CEO of Mead Johnson in 1975. In 1984, subsequent to Mead Johnson becoming a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Company, he became president of the Bristol-Myers U.S. Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Division. In 1989, he was appointed president of the Worldwide Bristol-Myers Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Division.

After the acquisition of E.R. Squibb pharmaceutical company in 1989, Davidson integrated the Bristol-Myers Pharmaceutical division with Squibb with headquarters in Princeton, N.J. He served as executive vice president of Bristol-Myers Squibb Corporation with responsibilities for the World Wide Pharmaceutical Group as well as Mead Johnson and Company. He retired in 1993.

Davidson served as a director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing Association, the Whitehead Institute of BioMedical Research, and Old National Bank.

He was a longtime trustee of the University of Evansville, including one term as Chairman of the Board. Formerly, he served on boards of the Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts and Indiana Bell.

Upon retirement, Davidson settled in Naples, and Banner Elk, N.C., where he enjoyed golf, boating, fishing, gardening, travel, reading, duplicate bridge, and cooking. He was a member of the "A Club" in Naples, which was dedicated to duplicate bridge competition. He was a member of the English Speaking Union and the Forum Club.

He was a member of the Elk River Country Club, Port Royal Club, Royal Poinciana Golf Club, and the Kennel Club in Evansville, Ind.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Judy; two daughters, Nancy Jungemann (Mark), of Naples, Fla., and Pagosa Springs, Colo., and Kathy Wheeler (Steve), of Naples, Fla.; a son, Scott (Jill), of St. Louis, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Jacob, Danielle, Kathleen, William, MeeJin, Emily, and Andrew, and one great-grandson, Eli.

A memorial service will be held in Evansville, Ind., at Aldersgate United Methodist Church on Saturday, January 10, beginning at 10 am. The family will also welcome visitors at Alexander Newburgh Chapel in Newburgh, Ind., on Friday, January 9, from 2-8 p.m. Graveside service will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Wayne and Judy Davidson Scholarship Fund at the University of Evansville or the charity of your choice.

Condolences may be made online at www.AlexanderNewburghChapel.com. 

The 2014 United Methodist Exemplary Teacher Award was presented at the University of Evansville’s winter Commencement exercise Dec. 17, by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church to Margaret Stevenson, UE associate professor of psychology.

Stevenson has been a professor at UE since 2008, teaching courses in such areas as social psychology, research methods in psychology, and psychology and the law. She serves as advisor to many psychology majors, advising and directing some in their research projects. Stevenson is a senior thesis mentor for many students, and co-faculty advisor for the UE student PSI CHI and Psychology Club.

She was honored with the Sydney and Sadelle Berger Award for Research in 2012, and the Association for Psychological Science RISE Research Award in 2011. Stevenson is also a past recipient of the American Psychological Association Division 37’s Section on Child Maltreatment Early Career Award. She is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. She serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Forensic Psychology and the International Journal of Psychological Studies.

During her time at UE, Stevenson has been the Honors Faculty Scholar in Residence, and has served on the Institutional Diversity Council, the Honors Program committee, and the General Education Subcommittee She has held the position of social sciences representative for UE Faculty Senate, as well as its corresponding secretary and parliamentarian.

Stevenson earned her Ph.D. and Master of Arts in social psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received her Bachelor Science degree in psychology and her Bachelor of Science in French from Ohio State University.
 

In order to better understand the religious needs of the UE community, the Offices of Diversity and Equity, Religious Life, and International Programs have scheduled a series of Religious Diversity Dialogues in January and February. All members of the campus community are invited to attend a one-hour informational discussion by selecting the session that best identifies his/her religious affiliation. For example, if your religious affiliation is Jewish, you would attend the January 29 session; if you consider yourself spiritual, but not religious, you would attend the February 19 session, and so on. Your input is important and will help us understand how best to serve the religious community at UE.

Please plan to attend the session that best identifies your own religious affiliation.

All sessions meet at 7:00 p.m. in Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall), Schroeder School of Business Building

Thursday, January 22           Eastern Religions (Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Tao, Shinto, Jain, Bahá’í, etc.)
Thursday, January 29           Judaism
Thursday, February 5           Christianity
Thursday, February 12         Islam
Thursday, February 19         Spiritual, but not Religious

For more information, please email: lw161@evansville.edu, tg85@evansville.edu, or wm23@evansville.edu.

Libraries resumes its regular schedule of hours for Spring Semester on Monday, January 12.

Monday: 7:30 a.m. - Midnight
Tuesday: 7:30 a.m. - Midnight
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. - Midnight
Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - Midnight
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12 Noon - Midnight

Exception to regular hours will be announced in advance. 

There are available jobs through federal work-study offered by the Office of Financial Aid for UE students. Eligibility is based on federal need as shown through the FAFSA. Download the Application. Applications may also be obtained at the UE Office of Financial Aid, Olmsted Hall, Room 116. Questions regarding eligibility and job availability should be directed to Hilary Morales at hm38@evansville.edu.

For those students wishing to put their Spring textbook charges on the BKLOAN program and charge to their student account using the Bookstore website please do the following. In the checkout comment field please indicate "Please charge to my student account -BKLOAN". You will still need to provide a credit card but no charge will be put on your credit card. When you pick up your order at the Bookstore you'll need to sign the BKLOAN form before you receive your books. You can NOT use the BKLOAN program to ship books. ONLY for orders picked up in the store. 

The University of Evansville basketball team looks to get back on track on Saturday in a key Missouri Valley Conference matchup at Bradley. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Carver Arena.

Another late opponent rally saw the Purple Aces drop their second contest in a row as Loyola overcame a 6-point deficit in the final three minutes to defeat UE by a 71-70 final. Four UE players hit double figures, led by D.J. Balentine’s 18; Duane Gibson had a season-high of 16 while Mislav Brzoja and Egidijus Mockevicius had 12 apiece. As a team, the Aces shot 57.4% and improved their overall shooting for the season to 52.5%, which is fifth in the nation.

Evansville’s four losses this season have come by a total of just nine points. The last time UE lost four games by such a small deficit came just three years ago as the squad was 3-4 in a streak of seven games that included a 72-70 loss to TCU, 67-66 at home to Wichita State, 75-73 at Illinois State and an 80-78 defeat at Indiana State.

Up against one of the top defenses in the MVC, the Aces were able to shoot 57.4% against Loyola on January 7. The loss to the Ramblers marked the first time UE shot 57% or better and lost since falling in the opening round of the 2012 CBI to Princeton where the Tigers hit 60% of their attempts; UE shot 59.6% in that game.

It has become almost automatic that Egidijus Mockevicius will notch a double-double in each game; the junior is tied for second in the nation with 11 this season. Mockevicius has done it all on each side of the floor; he is the #6 shooter in the nation at 64.4% while ranking in 10th with
10.6 rebounds per game and 5th with 8.20 defensive caroms per contest.

Bradley begins the weekend with a 6-10 mark and have gone 1-2 in their first three MVC contests. Warren Jones is the top scorer for BU with 14.6 points per game; Jones is in his first season at Bradley after transferring in from Southeastern (Iowa) C.C.. Another newcomer – Tramique Sutherland - is just behind Jones with 12.6 points; he came to the Braves from
Hill College. While the Braves pose the lowest scoring output in the MVC with 58.2 points per game, their defense has been stellar, allowing just 58.9 points, which is second behind UNI.

Following a trip to Missouri State on Wednesday, the Aces will be back at home on Saturday, Jan. 17 to take on Wichita State. Tickets are still available and fans have the opportunity to take advantage of a great 4-$44 deal. With the package, you are guaranteed a ticket to the games against Wichita State, Southern Illinois and Indiana State as well as your choice of one of the final four games in February. Those opponents include: Bradley, Missouri State, Drake and Illinois State. For more information, call 812-488-ACES or visit the Carson Center Ticket Office.

The University of Evansville women’s basketball team (7-7, 2-1) yielded a season-low in points to fuel a 63-38 victory over the visiting Loyola Ramblers on Thursday night at the Ford Center.

With the win, Evansville is now 5-0 at home for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The Aces have won nine consecutive home games dating back to last season.

UE’s defense held the Ramblers to just 28.3% shooting, just one point higher than the Aces season-low of 27.3% against Oakland City on Dec. 9, 2014.

Guard Sara Dickey and forward Mallory Ladd each totaled 19 points in the win, the
second consecutive conference victory for Evansville.

Both defenses prevented points early on as the score was 0-0 at the first media timeout. A Dickey free throw followed by a Ladd three-pointer then created a 4-0 advantage for the Aces. Evansville would never trail in the game as Ladd scored eight of the first 11 points for the home team.

Ahead 16-7, UE extended the lead to double-digits with a 7-0 run late in the opening half. A jumper from forward Peyton Langston and five straight points from Dickey brought the lead to 14 with 4:27 to play. Dickey had a game-high 10 points in the opening half as UE was up 28-13.

After UE scored the first four points of the second half, Loyola would go on a 13-2 run to bring the deficit to single digits.

Leading 34-26, Evansville would score 13 of the 17 points including five points from guard Khristian Hart. The Evansville native tallied 10 points off the bench in the victory.

After a couple of swapped baskets, UE ended the game on a 13-4 run to claim the win.

Evansville was 8-for-20 on three pointers in the contest. That marks the third time this season the Aces has made 40% or more of their shots from beyond the arc.

Dickey ended the evening 12-for-15 at the free throw line. It is the first time an Ace has made more than 10 free throws in a game since Ladd made 10 free throws at Loyola on March 8, 2014. Langston also grabbed a career-high seven rebounds in just 13 minutes of action.

UE will look for their 10th straight home win, and sixth consecutive home victory on Monday, Jan. 12 when the Aces host the Bradley Braves at the Ford Center. The tip is set for 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased over the phone at 812-488-ACES (2237), in person at either the Carson Center or Ford Center ticket office, or online via Ticketmaster.com.
 

Faculty/staff can now pick up tickets for the Women's Basketball game on Monday, January 12. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. 

The Intramural Department is looking for experienced basketball players/officials to help out with officiating intramural games this spring. If you are interested, email Seth Woodason at sw227@evansville.edu. Or, you can come to the Carson Center room 113 on Monday, Jan. 12 or Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 7 pm-8 pm. 

Happy New Year Aces Fans! Welcome back for the fourth edition of The Hart Beat! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years with family and friends. It’s hard to believe it’s already January 2015!

Coming back from Christmas break is always exciting because it usually marks the start to the second part of the season, often known as conference play. Before starting Missouri Valley Conference play, we faced the #5/#7 Louisville Cardinals at the Yum Center. We competed against a top-notch program, and after the game we truly realized what our team is capable of when we play Evansville basketball. Our nonconference schedule prepared us for anything and everything we will face the remainder of the season.

We then headed on the road to Missouri State for a Friday night contest. We worked hard in practice on our defense and what we needed to do in order to be successful against them. They just posted a huge program victory by beating Missouri. After watching film, just us girls talked about their personnel and what we needed to focus on in order to beat them. We had a good start to open up the game and went into the locker-room at halftime with a lead. We controlled the majority of the game, even though we allowed MSU to creep back into the game. Free throws down the stretch sealed the win. It was a huge program victory for us!

The next day we headed to Wichita, Kansas, where we would run into colder weather and snow! Some of us weren’t too thrilled about the snow, but it wasn’t too bad. The Wichita State game was another opportunity for us to grow as a team and to see where we are in terms of clenching a championship this season. It was a tough loss for the team, because we knew we had chances during that game to win it, on their home court and in front of all their fans. After a loss like that, you just want to get on the bus and get home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen.

Due to the cold weather and snow, a part on the bus FROZE; which also caused the bus to turn off by itself at times, so our bus driver didn’t feel comfortable putting it on the road without a mechanic taking a look. While we were waiting on the bus, Coach Anya taught us a pretty funny game called Garbage. We played for a bit, which helped pass the time. Once the bus was finally fixed, we were able to get on the road. It was a very long bus ride and we made it back to Evansville at 5 a.m.

Now, it’s time to focus on our next opponent, Loyola. We are finally back in action at the Ford Center, which is always exciting! It’s a new year, and the second beginning of our season as we get into conference play. I hope to see you all there, cheering us on!

Until next time…
K. Hart from The Hart Beat

University of Evansville head women’s golf coach Jim Hamilton has announced the signing of local product Carly Waggoner to a National Letter of Intent to begin playing for the Purple Aces in the fall of 2015.

“We are excited about having a 3-sport athlete on our team as well as a tremendous student,” Hamilton said. “With her focus next year solely on golf, we expect her to contribute immediately to our program. Carly has outstanding golfing ability and I look forward to coaching her over the next four years.”

Waggoner will come to UE after spending her high school career at Rivet HS. She was a 3-sport athlete in high school, lettering in golf, basketball and track. Her current average checks in at 76.5. In 2014, she was named to the Academic All-State Team. Waggoner was also a Sectional Medalist in 2013 and ’14 and had her best performance in state competition in 2011, coming in 29th.

She was a part of the Sectional Team Championships each year from 2011-14 while earning the 2010 Indiana Girls State Junior Flight Championship. Prior to that, she earned an Aquafina Prep Tour Points Championship in 2009.

Her success was not limited to the golf course as she led her basketball team to a pair of State Runners-up in 2013 and 2014. In track, she was a 2014 Regional Qualifier in the Long Jump and 4x400 Relay.

Waggoner will graduate from Rivet in May of 2015 and has accumulated a 4.0 GPA thus far.