Several University of Evansville alumni were featured in the Evansville Business Journal’s list of “20 Under 40” for 2016.

Click on their names below to read more about each UE graduate:

• Brett Mulzer ‘00
• Beau Dial ‘03
• Natalie Hedde ‘04
• Jeremy Buente ‘08
• Anna Hargis ‘08

Evansville Business Journal has recognized young community leaders with its annual "20 Under 40" edition since 2010. 

According to the publication, this edition "brings a spotlight to individuals — all younger than 40 — who make a difference in the community through their roles in business, government, education, health care, law, religious organizations, nonprofits and more."

The University of Evansville’s College of Engineering and Computer Science will soon purchase some new equipment thanks to a recent gift of $1 million. The generous donation comes from Paul and Patricia Jones, longtime supporters of UE.  

The Joneses have a strong connection to the University of Evansville, and as a couple have contributed immensely to the institution’s success.

They met as students at the University and later married in the school’s Neu Chapel. Patricia pursued a major in medical technology, while Paul earned his degree in engineering. Paul is currently a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, and is the retired chair and CEO of A.O. Smith Corporation.

“We truly appreciate the Jones’s generosity to our engineering programs,” said UE president Thomas A. Kazee. “Their support has been instrumental in transforming much of campus. This particular gift represents the perfect marriage of our shared vision for how state-of-the art engineering education – grounded on the solid foundation of the liberal arts and sciences - can help the region build the workforce of the future.” 

Items that will be bought with the Jones’s gift have long been on the wish lists of UE’s engineering programs. Equipment to be purchased includes a 3D scanner, multiple 3D printers, thermal imaging scanner, a 5-axis milling machine, and a project realization laboratory.

Philip Gerhart, dean of UE’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, noted that “equipment and facilities obtained with Paul and Pat Jones’s magnificent gift will play a key role in continuing the University’s commitment to excellence through both rigorous academics and hands-on experiences.”

UE’s engineering programs are designed to meet local, national and global needs. Students have the opportunity to study civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. UE also offers a biomedical option in both electrical and mechanical engineering and a certificate program in energy engineering that prepares current students and graduate engineers for opportunities in alternative and traditional energy technologies; an area believed to be key to developing the economy of the region.

The University of Evansville has again been named one of the Best Regional Universities: Midwest in the annual Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report. UE was eighth in this year’s ranking, which is based on measures of academic excellence such as student graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, and class sizes. The list includes approximately 200 schools, and rankings are designed to help prospective students and their families evaluate college choices.

UE was also named on the Best Value – Regional Universities (Midwest) list. This ranking is based on the school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student receiving the average need-based financial aid.

UE was listed in other Best Colleges U.S. News & World Report rankings as well, including: Best Colleges for Veterans, a top 10 Best Undergraduate Business Program among small private colleges, and a Best Undergraduate Engineering Program.

“We are pleased to again be recognized as a Best Value in the Midwest and as one of the Midwest’s top universities,” said UE president Thomas A. Kazee. “The recognitions in this report reflect our continued commitment to providing students with a high quality, affordable education.”

The Best Colleges rankings are available online at www.usnews.com/colleges and will be published in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2017 guidebook on newsstands later this month.

The Newman Club will be having a rosary group this Friday Sept 16, at 2:00 p.m. in Room 209 in the library. Nicolette Fonseca and Nathan Kabat will be leading the group in prayer. Students and faculty are welcome! If you have questions, contact Nicolette or Nathan at nf39@evansville.edu or nk78@evansville.edu. We hope to see you there!

Today at 4:30 p.m., on the Neu Chapel lawn, International Club will be having a water balloon fight with several fun activities to beat the heat. Be sure to come and wear appropriate clothing because you are going to get wet!

The UE Newman Club will be volunteering at Seton Harvest on Thursday, September 22. Seton Harvest is an organic farm that gives its food to local food shelters. The event will be from 5-7:30 p.m. If interested in participating, please contact Paige Hignite at ph89@evansville.edu for more info.

Violinist Bohdan Subchak and pianist Maira Liliestedt will present a duo guest recital in Wheeler Concert Hall this Sunday afternoon, September 18, at 4:00 p.m. Both Subchak and Liliestedt serve on the Department of Music faculty of the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Additionally, soprano Brookelle Bailey, a student of assistant professor of voice Alanna Keenan, will offer her senior recital in Wheeler Concert Hall this Saturday afternoon, September 17, at 4:00 p.m. Both recitals are free and open to the public.

The Newman Club would like to announce the upcoming Catholic leadership conference called Women of the Church. The event will take place October 7-9 in Ferdinand, Indiana. This conference will acknowledge, support, and honor the work of women in the Catholic Church. Keynote speakers include Carolyn Woo, Kathleen Sprows Cummings, and Mary Catherine Hilkert. The deadline to register for this event is Monday, September 26! Scholarship money is available. Contact Olivia Voegerl at ov4@evansville.edu or Jenny Koch at je46@evansville.edu for more information or go to the conference website.

Everyone is welcome to the University Worship and tailgate party this Sunday, at 11:00 a.m., in Neu Chapel! This week we seek to understand Jeremiah's perspective of destruction and healing. Join us for “Neu” words of hope! All are welcome at the table. There will be a tailgate party with homemade comfort food immediately following worship.

Life is stressful! College life especially so - classes, assignments, friends, relationships, and campus activities can begin to pile up! Stress should not keep you from succeeding. Join UE Counseling Services for a three-part series addressing strategies for managing stress as a normal part of college life!

Attendance at all three sessions is encouraged but not required. Sessions will be held in Room 218 in Ridgway University Center from 4:00-5:00 p.m. on September 22 and 29.

E-mail em232@evansville.edu to reserve your spot for our September series!

College Mentors for Kids has changed its call-out meeting date to Wednesday, September 21. The meeting will be from 3:30-4:30 p.m. If you are attending please apply to be a mentor on collegementors.org, and then join the group to match college students who have the most to give with younger kids who need it the most!

For more information, contact the chapter president Myka Goode by e-mail at mg222@evansville.edu.
 

Michael Austin, University of Evansville executive vice president of academic affairs, will be the speaker at UE’s Constitution Day lecture today - Monday, September 19 - at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall in Ridgway University Center. Admission to the lecture, which is part of UE’s annual observance of Constitution Day, is free and open to the public.

Austin is the author of That’s Not What They Meant! Reclaiming the Founding Fathers from America’s Right Wing. The topic of his lecture will be “What the Founders Fought About (and How They Worked It Out).”

Robert Dion, chair of the Constitution Day Committee and an associate professor of political science, said, “We are thrilled to have Dr. Austin as our speaker this year for Constitution Day. At a time when the American political sphere seems so dysfunctional and polarized, it is good to look back to the example set by our Founders over 200 years ago. There are lessons to be learned from them about compromise and cooperation.”

Austin’s presentation will explore some of the major compromises of the Founding era and explain how they were resolved. It will focus on historical and contemporary attitudes toward political opponents and argue that, in the times that our government has worked best, both leaders and citizens have engaged in rigorous political debate without fundamentally delegitimizing their opponents. This is a citizenship skill that is rarely taught but absolutely essential to the society that the Constitution created.

Austin explained that “the Constitution contains multiple ways to prevent things from happening and only a very few ways to make changes or move policies forward. The framers understood how easy it would be for the Republic to become a majoritarian tyranny, so they set in motion a process that would require debate, disagreement, and compromise.”

“This is the only way that anything can get done in our system of government,” he added. “It means other points of view will always exist, strong disagreements will always arise, and compromises will always be required in order to make our system of government work. These are not bugs; they are features.”

Austin earned his PhD in English literature from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He earned his MA and BA degrees in English from Brigham Young University.

For more information about the lecture, call 812-488-1150.
 

Non-profits and community agencies from the Evansville community want to connect with UE students and help them find their next volunteer opportunity! Evansville is not immune to the troubles facing many communities across the state and nation. Whether it’s working with children, the elderly, the environment, animals, or anything in between, there is a need and you can help make a difference!

If you are interested in volunteering, attend the UE Volunteer Fair on Wednesday, September 21, from 9:00 a.m.–noon. The event will be in front of Ridgway University Center. (In case of inclement weather, the fair will take place inside Ridgway University Center on the second floor in Eykamp Hall.)

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Jackie Luedtke at jl295@evansville.edu or ext. 1115.

All are welcome to join us for Mass this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Neu Chapel. Fr. Alex will be our celebrant. Hope to see you there! For more information contact Olivia Voegerl at ov4@evansville.edu.

Earn HRA credit by participating in the Fall Healthy Behavior Challenge. Challenge from September 26- November 20. E-mail Ashley Chipps, wellness coordinator, at ac375@evansville.edu to sign up or for more information.

Those who successfully complete the challenge will earn $150 in HRA credit. The minimum requirement is 150 minutes of exercise weekly or 1200 points at the end of week eight.

Participants record the total number of minutes they exercise daily. They can earn five bonus points for trying a new activity. The weekly exercise logs are then turned in to the wellness coordinator by e-mail or by dropping them into the collection box in the Medical Clinic. 

The University of Evansville, in pursuit of excellence in service, wishes to recognize a non-faculty employee displaying records of achievement as a leader. Leadership may be demonstrated in any of the following areas: service to the University, service to students, job performance and attitude towards fellow employees. To be eligible, an employee must be a full-time member of administration or staff.  Nominations for the October 2016 Employee of the Month are due no later than Tuesday, September 20. To nominate someone, please go here.

Have you been meaning to come to the Center for Career Development? Do you need to start a cover letter, learn about UEJobLink, or update your resume after a summer internship? Come visit your career advocates for peer-to-peer help to get you started! No appointment necessary. Just stop by the CCD, located on the second floor of Ridgway University Center.

Advocates are available at the following times:

• Monday: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday: 8:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-3:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8:00 a.m.-noon and 3:00-5:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 10:00-11:00 a.m.- and 2:00-4:00 p.m.
• Friday: 10:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m.
   

Applications for 2016-17 Lower Ohio Valley Construction Industry Fund Scholarship (LOVCIF) are available.

You can find the application here, or you can pick up an application in the Office of Financial Aid, located in Room 116 in Olmsted Administration Hall. You can also request a copy by e-mailing cw259@evansville.edu.

Completed applications should be returned to the Office of Financial Aid by October 1.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Financial Aid via e-mail or by phone at 812 488-2364 or, 800-424-8634.

Consider completing the application by October 1 if you meet these criteria:

1. Eligible first-time recipients must be sophomores in 2016-17.
2. Priority is given to students whose parents or grandparents have worked at one of the following companies in either a management position or as a union laborer. The companies are Industrial Contractors, Peyronnin Construction, Arc Construction, Deig Brothers construction, Empire Contractors, or Traylor Brothers.
3. Students must be United States citizens who graduated from a high school within a 100 mile radius of Evansville, Indiana.
4. If the second criteria listed above does not apply, students may apply who are majoring in a construction related field (i.e., civil engineering) or management in the School of Business.

Consideration will be given for both financial need and scholastic ability.

There will be no discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, ethnic group, age, or disability.

Interested in becoming a member of the UE Dance Team? Fall auditions will be hosted on Friday, September 23, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Visit gopurpleaces.com or e-mail Coach Brooks at sr99@evansville.edu for more information

Cheerleading tryouts for the 2016-17 basketball season will be held on September 18 at 10:00 a.m. in Carson Center. More information and tryout waivers can be found on gopurpleaces.com or by contacting Brent Coach at brent.couch2@gmail.com. We are looking to build a team of women and men to cheer on our Aces. Go ACES!

The University of Evansville College of Engineering and Computer Science has announced dates for the annual review and preparation course for those planning to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam.

Classes will be Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Koch Center for Engineering and Science. Classes are divided into relevance per discipline.  Fees are adjusted accordingly.

• Civil engineering candidates will attend from October 6-February 2. 
• Candidates in mechanical engineering and other disciplines candidates will attend from October 6-December 1. 
• Electrical and computer engineering candidates will attend November 3-December 1.

Registration forms and payment must be returned by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 4.

On campus registrations should be returned to Room 250 in the Koch Center for Engineering and Science.

Community members may obtain registration information by contacting Kimberly Higgins via e-mail at kh209@evansville.edu or phone at 812-488-2651.

Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. 
 

Students, faculty, administrators, and staff who sport the UE State of Indiana license plate in 2016 (new and renewal plates) will receive a $25 discount off the UE parking permit fee for 2016-17. The registration process for the plates is now handled through the state.

If you want to purchase or renew a UE plate, go here.

If you already have your 2016 UE plate, bring your State of Indiana vehicle registration to the Office of Safety and Security when you purchase your parking permit for the new academic year.

If you have not registered your vehicle yet, you will need to pay the full parking permit fee and then bring your registration to the Office of Safety and Security to get a credit for $25.

If you have any questions, contact alumni@evansville.edu.

Kyle Matsel, assistant professor of physical therapy, recently traveled to Google Headquarters in San Jose, California, regarding fitness testing. Matsel and Gray Cook, co-founder of Functional Movement Systems, spent two days with the personal trainers, strength coaches, massage therapists, and chiropractors that work with the over 30,000 Google employees in San Jose. Google’s large campus houses over 14 fitness and wellness centers where the employees can exercise and receive personal training. Matsel and Cook introduced the Fundamental Capacity Screen, a battery of tests used to systematically identify performance deficits, to the Google healthcare team and administrators.

Eric Renschler, Department of Theatre chair and scenic designer, and Patti McCrory, costume designer, have opened an art exhibit, Designs for the Theatre and Life: An Exhibition. This is a collection of set and costume designs and other expressions of the need to make art at the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, located at 318 Main Street, in downtown Evansville. The exhibit displays both collaborations between the two and individual work.

Designs for the Theatre and Life runs through October 5, with a closing reception on Friday, September 30, from 5:30–7:00 p.m.
 

Department of Theatre professor Christia Ward, who is currently on sabbatical, will be collaborating with Cary Gray and Kim Patrick Bitz to present Wabash River Radio Revue at New Harmony’s Kunstfest. The event will be at 3:00 p.m., on Saturday, September 17.

Wabash River Radio Revue will treat audiences to quick-witted comedy segments, humorous banter, and special musical guest After Hours.

Tickets for this radio play comedy are $5 and are available day-of-show only beginning at noon.
Wabash River Radio Revue will take place in New Harmony’s Thrall’s Opera House and will be recorded for future broadcast.

Three UE Theatre alumni have been nominated for the 2016 Emmy Awards. The categories for Carrie Preston ’89 and Jack McBrayer ’95 were announced this past weekend. Tune in to ABC on September 18 to see if Rami Malek takes home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for USA's Mr. Robot!

The University of Evansville’s English department recently reached the social media landmark of 1,000 Twitter followers. The department is currently one of the most popular college-level English departments on Twitter.

Robert Baines, assistant professor of English and Twitterer-in-chief, said that he is “very happy about this. The achievements of our majors are continually extraordinary, and it is great to be able to communicate those achievements to such a large audience. I hope that our social media presence continues to grow.”

You can follow the English department on Twitter at @ueenglish.

New Tech Institute in Evansville recently hosted a STEM (science, tech, engineering, and math) fest to engage high school students and the community in these disciplines. UE professors Angie Reisetter, Joyce Stamm, Ann Powell, and Noah Gordon helped kids visualize their voices and "see" in the infrared.

These techniques were used to connect kids to UE faculty research in energy conservation and wildlife.

Kids’ activities included painting on their skin with ice - visible in the infrared - and seeing how well they could imitate a frog call.
 

Douglas Reed, UE university organist emeritus and a professor of music emeritus, has been appointed interim principal organist of the Church of the Ascension, an Anglo-Catholic parish in Chicago. During the 2016 fall semester, Reed is visiting professor of music (organ) at the University of Notre Dame while organ professor Craig Cramer is on sabbatical.

Today and Saturday, the University of Evansville Women’s Tennis team will take part in the Greater Cincinnati Invitational, which will be hosted by Northern Kentucky and Dayton.

Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, will play host to the event. It is located just north of Cincinnati, near Kings Island. The facility has four permanent tennis courts as well as 12 additional playing courts.

Purple Aces head coach Jayson Wiseman enters his second season at the helm of the program and welcomes back a pair of returning players in senior Andjela Brguljan and junior Leah Helpingstine. Brguljan won seven matches a season ago, including six dual matches. She performed very well at the top flight, going 3-3.

Evansville’s squad also features six newcomers. Transfer Chieko Yamada enters her junior campaign after playing at Shasta College in California. She was named an All-American in the spring of 2015. Daira Pentsova comes to Evansville as a sophomore and played for Texas-Rio Grande Valley last year. She was 3-1 in her first collegiate tournament.

Four freshmen comprise the newcomers including: Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga (Basauri, Spain), Nicoli Pereira (Santos, Brazil), Theodora Soldatou (Athens, Greece) and Diana Tkachenko (Russia).

Two weeks after opening the season with a successful outing at the Eastern Illinois University Walt Crawford Open, the University of Evansville Cross Country teams are back on the course today at the Indiana Intercollegiate.

A total of 21 teams will be competing including Division I foes Ball State, Indiana, Indiana State, IUPUI, and Purdue. The women's open 5k race will begin at 3:00 p.m. followed by the men's open 8k at 3:30 p.m. The women's championship 5k will begin at 4:40 p.m., and the meet will be concluded with the men's 8k championship at 5:15 p.m.

Hannah Welsh and Ricky Hendrix were the top performers as the University of Evansville Cross Country teams opened up the 2016 season two weeks ago at EIU. Welsh led the way for the ladies, finishing the 5K course in a time of 18:48.14 to take tenth place overall out of 69 runners. She was ninth among Division I runners in her debut for the Purple Aces. Her effort was also the second-best 5K time for the squad since the beginning of last season.

Five spots behind her in the final running order was Sienna Crews. The sophomore circled the course in a time of 19:14.53. She came home in thirteenth among D-I racers and twenty-second on the final leaderboard. Third on the squad was Ashton Bosler. Her time of 20:24.53 put her twenty-second in the D-I order.

Hendrix burst onto the scene for the men, finishing his 8K effort in a time of 27:15.79. His debut time was the quickest for a UE runner since Josh Genet posted a 26:29.25 in the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Championship. He came home in twelfth place.

Just behind him was another newcomer – Stanley Chepchieng. His 28:35.05 saw him earn a twentieth place finish on the Division I leaderboard. Third for the men was Paul Schwartz. The senior set a PR with his 28:35.16. It bested his previous top time of 29:04.2, which was set in last year's UE Invitational at Angel Mounds.
 

With a 4-game homestand in the books, the Purple Aces are back on the road, taking part in their final non-conference tournament of the season - the Gamecock Classic. Evansville joins Kennesaw State, UL Monroe, Jacksonville State, and Nicholls State at the event.

Last weekend, the Aces went 1-2, but finished the Dunn Hospitality Tournament with some momentum, defeating Kent State in five sets. Mildrelis Rodriguez tied her career mark with 18 kills as the Aces earned their second win of the season.

Rodriguez matched her career-high with 18 kills in two of the last four matches as the Aces grabbed a pair of wins. She leads the squad with 84 kills on the season. Just as impressive has been her defensive ability as she has registered 78 digs this year, second on the team.

In the win over the Golden Flashes, Rocio Fortuny has the best outing of her career, setting highs in kills (16), attempts (42), assists (3) and digs (11). After missing the opening weekend of the season, Fortuny has done very well since making her return, leading the team with 2.73 kills per set. She has also notched 0.64 blocks per frame. In her six matches this year, Fortuny has notched at least six kills each time out.

Erlicia Griffith continued to be a force for Evansville as she is tied for the MVC lead with 1.36 blocks per set. That tally also ranks in the top 40 in the NCAA. Over the last four matches, Griffith notched a total of 21 blocks, including four solo. Her top match came against SEMO where she had two solo blocks, nine block assists and a total of 11 for the match.

Freshman Rachel Tam is coming off of the best game of her career against Kent State, setting her season and career marks with 11 kills, 31 attempts and 12 digs. That bested her previous best of 10 kills, which came in the opening weekend against Northern Kentucky.

UE opens up the weekend against Kennesaw State with a 9:00 a.m. match today. The Owls come into the tournament with a record of 2-8. They played better last weekend at the Georgia Challenge, finishing off the tournament with a 3-1 win over Georgia State. KSU also took Georgia Tech to five sets before falling, 3-2. Kristi Piedimonte has done a nice job on offense for KSU, recording 363 assists, an average of 9.31 per set.

The Warhawks enter the event with a 3-10 record and have dropped their last five sets. The top effort of the season for ULM came at a tournament hosted by Central Arkansas on September 2-3 where they won three out of four matches. On the first day of play, ULM defeated Alcorn State and Incarnate Word before capping off the second day with a 3-2 win over host UCA.

Jacksonville State is on a roll as they prepare to host their second weekend tournament in a row. The Gamecocks are winners of five in a row and six of their last seven. Overall, JSU is 7-6, but after a tough 1-5 start to the year, they are above .500 for the first time. In last weekend’s home event, Jacksonville State defeated Jackson State, New Orleans, Mississippi Valley State and UAB. They also earned a mid-week win over Alcorn State before that. Allyson Zuhlke is the top offensive player for JSU, notching 3.62 kills per game.

Evansville wraps up the weekend on Saturday afternoon against Nicholls State. The Colonels start the weekend at 4-7 after falling in their last three matches in Jacksonville, Florida. Two weeks ago, they had a strong run that saw them earn three wins in a row as they defeated Alabama A&M, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Southern. Brieanna Hill leads the team with 2.36 kills per set while Alexa Perry has done well on defense, notching 3.79 digs/frame.