Hlawn K. Zathang, an accounting major from Indianapolis, Indiana, and Nathan Graves, an education major from Renssalaer, Indiana, were named the University of Evansville’s Outstanding Seniors during Commencement at the Ford Center last Saturday.

The Mabel Dillingham Nenneker and Guthrie May Outstanding Senior Service Awards are the highest honors the University presents to one female and one male senior. They are named for two of the University’s most respected alumni, Mabel Dillingham Nenneker and Guthrie May.

Zathang was the recipient of the Mabel Dillingham Nenneker Outstanding Senior Service Award. She graduated with an accounting degree and has earned sufficient credit hours to sit for the Certified Public Accountant exam following graduation.

In 2008, Zathang moved with her family to America from Burma (now Myanmar). Nobody in her family spoke English, so she committed to learn English fast in order to assist her family with the transition. Zathang has also volunteered to assist other refugee families relocate to America. She is one of approximately 10,000 Burmese people now living in south Indianapolis. Through these experiences, Zathang became inspired to give back by helping others.  Since her arrival in Evansville, she has volunteered at the Evansville ARC Industries, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Pine Haven Nursing Home. 

Zathang is involved with the Burmese American Institute, a not-for-profit organization that helps students and people in the community focusing on college research, tutoring, and childcare development. Zathang helps students with research, tracks cash flow for the Institute’s program, calculates staff payroll, organizes participant, staff, and organization partner files, and assists with fiscal reporting.

Overall, Zathang says, “It is obvious that through my four years at the University of Evansville, I have not only grown in an education aspect, but I also discovered what it means to be a good citizen. I also realize the size of my responsibility starting with my family, to the community, and to the world.”

The Guthrie May Award was presented to Graves, who was also the ceremony’s senior keynote speaker. He graduated with a bachelor of science in special education and elementary education, and will attend Vanderbilt University in the fall to pursue a master’s degree for a future in higher education.

Graves helped incoming and potential students as an admission ambassador and orientation leader, and was involved with local schools through practicums and internships. He served as event coordinator for an after school program that finds homes for those whose situations leave them without a place to live.

Graves was inspired to enroll in a social responsibility class to become more culturally competent, and participated in training provided by the Anti-Defamation League. He went on to lead small group discussions on campus in an effort to educate others in diversity and acceptance.

His list of involvements is long, but he says it’s not titles, the clubs, or the committees that matter - his participation was always with the goal to understand people better and to help in situations where there was opportunity to make a positive impact on others and help people.

“As I look forward to a career in higher education,” Graves says, “I know that each day will provide me with an opportunity to do something meaningful for the rest of my life. It will not be easy, and I may not get a lot of rest at night, but I can be a part - even if it is a small part - of a crucial time in a person’s life that can transform the way they choose to see and engage in the world.”

University of Evansville associate psychology professor Margaret Stevenson was named the 2015 Outstanding Teacher at the University during UE’s Commencement Exercises May 9.

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 two UE student groups, Psi Chi and the 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. In 2014, Stevenson was presented with the United Methodist Exemplary Teacher Award by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. Stevenson is a past recipient of the American Psychological Association Division 37’s Section on Child Maltreatment Early Career Award. She is a member of such professional organizations as the American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and 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.

At UE, Stevenson has been Honors Faculty Scholar in Residence, and has served on the Institutional Diversity Council, Honors Program committee, and General Education Subcommittee She has been the social sciences representative for UE Faculty Senate, as well as 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.

Extra copies of the 2014 LinC are available and may be picked up outside Student Publications, Ridgway University Center second floor, while supplies last. 

The UE Bookstore summer hours of operation start Monday, May 11. The store will be open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. The store will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays except for special occasions. 

The UE Office of Financial Aid wishes to alert all students and parents who currently have a PIN for use with certain U.S. Department of Education websites (for example, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), that users of these federal websites will be prompted to convert their existing PIN to the new FSA ID -- a username and password. Your FSA ID confirms your identity when you access your financial aid information and/or electronically sign Federal Student Aid documents, such as a Master Promissory Notes for federal loans.

After May 10, anyone who accesses these sites will be prompted to create the new FSA ID when logging in to fafsa.gov, the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) at www.nslds.ed.gov, StudentLoans.gov, and StudentAid.gov.

Online instructions will lead the user through the set-up process. 

Project to renovate the Libraries will begin immediately following Spring Final Exams. Duration of the project is expected to continue through summer. Students, faculty, and staff will have ready access to library services through the Libraries' website at www.evansville.edu/libraries/ or by telephone at 812.488.2462.

Physical access to the Library including books, print journals, microforms, etc. will be extremely limited. Library hours will be Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. No weekend hours will be maintained. Entry doors to Bower-Suhrheinrich Library will be locked. Entry for service will be through Clifford Library entrance. You are encouraged to request service in advance utilizing the Libraries' website or by contacting us by email and telephone.

Refer questions to x2376 or x2462. 

Kenneth Steinsultz, associate professor of Music and director of bands, will perform a solo recital at the Mid-West Regional Tuba and Euphonium Conference, May 16, 2015 on the campus of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. In addition to the solo recital at the conference, Steinsultz will be an adjudicator for the young artist solo competition and head adjudicator for the euphonium mock audition. 

The University of Evansville Purple Aces baseball team (28-22) utilized an eight run sixth inning and a go-ahead, pinch hit, eighth inning RBI single from Max Foley for an 11-10 win at Murray State (15-38) on Wednesday night. Outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski was 3-for-5 with a run scored, two triples and three RBIs in the 11th straight midweek win for the Aces.

“We found a way to win but we need to execute better all over the field,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “Kaczmarski had another big day to lead us offensively.”

Evansville started with the lead after a first inning RBI triple from Kaczmarski. The one run advantage was short-lived though as the Racers scored five times in the bottom of the inning.

Down 5-1, UE answered with a run back in the third only to see Murray State tally a run in the fourth.

Evansville then overcame the 6-2 deficit with an eight run rally in the sixth. The Aces tied the game on a two-run single from infielder Stewart Nelson, went ahead on an RBI single by outfielder Jarod Perry and extended the lead with another two-run single from Kaczmarski.

Trailing 10-6, the Racers evened up the score with a four run seventh inning.

Deadlocked at 10, UE broke the tie on Foley’s hit to center field in the eighth inning. Reliever Connor Gilligan pitched a scoreless bottom half of the inning and closer Brent Jurceka tossed a perfect ninth to complete the 1,100th win in program history.

Starter Ryan Billo did not factor into the decision. He yielded six runs (five earned) in 5.0 innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. Gilligan (2-1) received the win after his 1.2 scoreless innings of work. Jurceka tallied his ninth save of the season.

The pair of triples for Kaczmarski moves him into a tie for second most in single season program history (9) and gives the senior 22 in his UE career, also second highest.

Perry, 1-for-5, extended his on base streak to 51 and hitting streak to 11. Infielder Jonathan Ramon, who walked a career-high tying three times, went 1-for-2 to advance his hitting streak to 12. Nelson also totaled two runs, two hits and two RBIs in the win.

The next Evansville game is at home on Thursday, May 14 against Austin Peay at 6:00 p.m. Adult tickets are $7 as senior/youth tickets are just $5.

For all of the latest information on Evansville baseball, log on to GoPurpleAces.com or follow the team’s Twitter account @UEAcesBaseball.
 

The University of Evansville baseball team (28-22) finishes the 2015 regular season with a three game series against Austin Peay (25-25). The first two games on Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15 will be held at Braun Stadium in Evansville, Ind. at 6:00 p.m. CDT. The final contest of the series is at Austin Peay on Saturday, May 16 with a 4:00 p.m. CDT start time.

UE will hold their Senior Day ceremony before first pitch on Friday, May 15. The team will honor pitcher Ryan Billo, pitcher Conor Gilligan, outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski, outfielder Jarod Perry, and pitcher Matt Rodgers.

Adult tickets at Braun Stadium are $7 and senior/youth tickets are $5 each.

After the conclusion of this series, the Aces will travel to Wichita, Kan. for the MVC Tournament which begins on Wednesday, May 20.

For all of the latest information on Evansville baseball, log on to GoPurpleAces.com or follow the team’s Twitter account @UEAcesBaseball. 

The Missouri Valley Conference announced on Monday that University of Evansville baseball player Kevin Kaczmarski was named Player of the Week. This is the third time in four weeks that the outfielder was named MVC Player of the Week.

A Cary, Ill. native, Kaczmarski hit a team best .588 (10-for-17), with the highest slugging percentage (.882) and on-base percentage (.632) of any Purple Ace. He led UE in hits (10), doubles (three), triples (one), runs batted in (eight), total bases (15), and stolen bases (one).

The redshirt senior began the week by guiding the Aces to a season-high in runs during a 19-2 victory against UT-Martin. Kaczmarski was 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and two runs batted in. The triple was the 20th of his Purple Aces career. He is only the second UE baseball player to reach the milestone (Greg Wallace, 25).

Kaczmarski then started the weekend going 4-for-5 at Wichita State with three singles and a game-tying, seventh inning, two-run double.

He then reached base in all five plate appearances on Saturday, ending the day 3-for-3 with a single, two doubles, a walk, and a hit by pitch. He also had a three-run, eighth inning double that pulled UE within a run of tying the Shockers. The pair of doubles moved Kaczmarski into a tie for second place in program history with 66 (Ryan Connors 1997-2000).

The center fielder was 10-for-13 to begin the week before an 0-for-4 performance on Sunday ended his career-high 22 game hitting streak.

His .476 batting average and .552 on-base percentage lead the nation.

This is the sixth Player/Pitcher of the Week award for the UE Baseball team this season. Outfielder Josh Jyawook was named MVC Player of the Week on Feb. 16 after his .385 weekend series against Arkansas – Little Rock. Left-hander Brodie Harkness was also selected as Pitcher of the Week twice (Mar. 9, 23).

The UE baseball team (27-22) completes the midweek portion of the 2015 schedule when the Purple Aces visit Murray State (15-37) on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. at Reagan Field. The Aces are back at home on Thursday, May 14 for the beginning of a three game series with Austin Peay. First pitch is 6:00 p.m. on May 14 and 15 at Braun Stadium. The contest on Saturday, May 16 is at Austin Peay and will begin at 4:00 p.m. Adult tickets at Braun Stadium are $7 and senior/youth tickets are $5 each.

For all of the latest information on Evansville baseball, log on to GoPurpleAces.com or follow the team’s Twitter account @UEAcesBaseball.