Join us for a brand new semester of I-House presentations! Student Andrey Biruchinskiy will be presenting a program on Russia this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on the second floor of Ridgway University Center in the Class of 1959 Gallery. Bring your friends to enjoy the presentation and complimentary cookies!
 

Adventist Campus Ministries will be having Bible study this Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. in Room 153 (Eades Music Room) in the McCurdy Wing of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. Anyone is welcome to attend. Contact: Guy Goodness (gg57@evansville.edu) for more details.

The next in the series of Crick Lectures in Cognitive and Neural Sciences is set for February 8 from 4-5 p.m. in Room 100 (Vectren Lecture Hall) in Koch Center. The speaker will be Dr. Damani N. Bryant, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at Oregon Health & Science University. He will be discussing "Mechanisms of Sexually Dimorphic Estradiol Neuroprotection." The lecture is free and open to the public.

Biological sex has historically been one of the most overlooked aspects of Neuroscience. It has become clear in recent years that sex profoundly alters the way the brain responds to its environment. For example, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Stroke varies as a function of sex and estrogen status. Pre-menopausal women enjoy better protection from AD and Stroke than men, implying that estrogen is neuroprotective.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was designed to determine whether hormone replacement was beneficial to women. Surprisingly, WHI found no benefit to estrogen replacement. However, there are several caveats associated with the design of WHI that preclude the broad generalization of its findings. Misinterpretation of the WHI findings thus represents a critical barrier to advancing our understanding of estradiol’s effects in the brain, which are very complex and are not completely understood. Given the documented impact of sex on vulnerability to insult, it is reasonable to postulate that sex also modifies the brain’s response to other stimuli, such as the neuroprotective steroid 17β-estradiol (E2).

To address this issue, male and female rat neurons are cultured separately and used as an experimental model system to examine biochemical responses to E2. Male neurons show a less robust response to estradiol than female neurons. The most important question is “Why is E2 signaling sexually dimorphic?” This sex difference may be a consequence of the perinatal Testosterone surge, which “Organizes” the male brain or it may be a consequence of genetic sex (XX vs XY). Future studies will address this issue.

Nerd Wars is back but with a new twist! Instead of two teams at a time competing on stage, all teams will compete in each round making it more fun for everyone the entire evening. Teams consist of up to 5 people who work together to answer questions. Teams can be comprised of students, faculty, staff, or administrators. Some of the topics covered will be science, history, sports, art, and even UE trivia!  Like always, there will be complimentary snacks and giveaways throughout the evening.  The entry fee will help cover t-shirt costs and donations will be accepted benefiting Albion Fellows Bacon Center (so please bring money!). To sign up, email Lesa Hofferth at lh70@evansville.edu with your team name, first and last name of each team member, and their t-shirt sizes. The entry fee is $5 per person. Do this by January 24 to guarantee your t-shirt. The event, held Wednesday February 8 at 7 p.m. in Eykamp 251, Ridgway University Center, will include giveaways and prizes for the winning team!

This is the last week to sign up for the Annual Engineering Career Forum. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, the Society for Women Engineers (SWE), the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Office of Alumni and Parent Relations, and the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education are sponsoring the annual Engineering Career Forum. Representatives from several organizations, including Sabic, American Structurepoint, Flanders Electric, GE Energy Services, Vectren, and R.W. Armstrong & Associates, will be in attendance to provide professional advice and to network with students. Engineering and Computer Science students should sign up in Tina Newman’s office by Friday, Jan. 20 at noon.
 

There will be a meeting on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 p.m. in Hyde Hall 103 for all students who may be interested in studying abroad in China this summer.  This includes anyone who did not attend the initial meeting for this program that took place in December.  It should be emphasized that there is still an opportunity for any student who has not expressed an interest in this program before now from participating.  If you have any questions, please contact either Roger Pieroni (rp49@evansville.edu) in Foreign Languages or Mark Shifflet (ms83@evansville.edu) in Communication.
 

A few spaces remain for the Newman Club's service with the Christian Appalachian Project this year. CAP is an interdenominational organization that serves the rural poor, mostly in eastern Kentucky. Students of all faiths are welcome - you do not have to be Catholic or a Newman Club member to participate. The trip will run from Sunday through Friday of Spring Break. For more information, contact Newman Center Director Mike Roesch at mr201@evansville.edu. You can also visit CAP's website: http://www.christianapp.org

The mission of RSA is to improve the quality of the residential experience.

This semester RSA is putting on a healthy life styles program called Get Fit. Live Well. The program will encourage students to exercise either on their own or at the Fitness Center, eat well, participate in IMs, and attend lectures and programs on a variety of topics including exercise, eating disorders, nutrition, drugs, and sexual health. Work out sessions, IM participation, and attendance at our lectures and programs will be worth points. Door prizes will be awarded at certain events, and a few top point earners will win larger prizes. Grand prize is an Xbox 360 with Kinect.

Our first lecture will be on Thursday, January 19 at 1:00 p.m. in Hyde 226. Rob Latva will be talking about wellness and getting active while touching on topics like body types, being comfortable with your body, lifelong physical activities, and stress relief.

Go to www.uegetfit.com to sign up and get more information.
 

Think you know all there is to know about activities on campus? Do you enjoy creatively designing ads or posters? Want to help involve other students on campus in campus-wide activities? Then the Student Activities Board Public Relations/Advertising Committee is the place for you! BUT, there's a lot more to our PR committee than just ads, posters, and fun giveaways--we are in need of people who enjoy drawing on sidewalks and classroom boards with CHALK (and markers, too)!  Come to our call out meeting this Thursday at 9:00 pm in the SAB office inside the Center for Student Engagement (back door by the restrooms). We'll have a short meeting with enough time for you to go to the SAB movie of the week!! Interested, but can't make it?! Email sw202@evansville.edu  or tc111@evansville.edu to get some more information!!  See you there!

Wanting to become more politically active on campus? UE College Democrats is holding its first meeting of the semester on Thursday January 19 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 72, Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. New members are welcome anytime during the semester, but don’t miss the first meeting where we will be discussing and planning events for the spring semester. Please send any questions to dk94@evansville.edu

The first Student Congress meeting of this semester will be held next Thursday, January 19, in Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall), Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. A reminder - each organization will need a representative, also note that we will be holding elections for secretary at this time.

Are you looking for a history of civil rights in the United States?  Perhaps you would like to see a debate between people in the field on the treatment animals in contemporary society.  Or, looking for something more current, you want to research what the “Occupy” movement means, where it may go and what effects it may have in the long term.  For these topics and hundreds more United States-centric issues use CQ Researcher.

CQ Researcher presents information on current issues such as health, education, politics, social trends, criminal justice, and technology.  The database provides background information, a fairly comprehensive history of the topic, and developing trends.  The site also provides analysis from both researchers and other knowledgeable individuals in the particular subject.  This database is usually well cited and considered a scholarly resource.  It is regularly updated 44 times per year in both print and on the database. 

Britannica Online: Academic Edition features include:
• Scholarly resource on a wide range of United States issues;
• Interconnected entries for easy navigation;
• Additional links and information to help the research process;
• Clear citation;
• Updated 44 times each year with new or updating older entries.

CQ Researcher is available here if you are the on the campus server. Contact Kathy Bartelt (kb4@evansville.edu) or Shane White (sw69@evansville.edu) with questions or comments.
 

Relay for Life is Still Accepting Teams! UE's Colleges Against Cancer is still signing up teams for the 2012 Relay for Life - Carnival for a Cure! Go to RelayForLife.org/VanderburghCollegesIN to start a team! Any questions, please contact sj81@evansville.edu

Spring 2012 Fitness Center locker rental  fees are due now. Locker rental fees can be paid at the Fitness Center office or front desk.  

Congratulations to all students who made the Fall 2011 Dean's List! To recognize this achievement, news releases were sent yesterday morning to your hometown newspapers. You should have received an e-mail notification that allows you to read the story online at readabout.me. 

When you receive the e-mail with a link to view your story online, you can log in via Facebook to add your photo, customize your readabout.me profile, and share your achievement with friends and family.

Your online reputation is important – most employers Google an applicant's name during the hiring process for jobs and internships. By using readabout.me, UE will help you create a positive online profile.

If you have any questions, please contact UE's Office of University Relations at x2241. We look forward to celebrating your achievements with your local hometown media and online at readabout.me. Keep up the good work! 

Students are welcome to apply for the I-Pals Program. This program is set in place to promote friendship by matching International students with American students. This program provides students with a new perspective on cultures different from their own. Applications for I-Pals Program are available in the Office of Cultural Engagement and International Services in Ridgway University Center, Room 220, at the back of the Student Life Center. Please contact Emily Fiedler at ef31@evansville.edu  with any questions.

The time has come, oh gracious Aces
To invite students to your home places
Let them in to sleep on your floors
Sleeping bags, pillows, snores galore

We need your rooms so they can stay here
Store their suitcases, jackets, and other fun gear
If you’ve got ample Purple Ace pride
Then they’ll feel very grateful for sleeping inside

Road Trip is back in fantabulous form
Giving all such a smile, happy and warm
Games will be played and laughs will be had
Being a volunteer will leave you so glad

This weekend is vital for showing off UE
The visitors will be amazed, sent home feeling glee
Road Trip can make an impression more than you think
If you want to join the fun, simply click on this link.

The Office of Annual Giving is looking to hire several highly motivated and enthusiastic students to be student callers for the 2012 Spring Phonathon. Student callers contact UE alumni and friends to raise money for student scholarships.  This is great experience and perfect for building a resume!

Spring Phonathon will be held Monday February 6th through Thursday March 1st in Hyde Hall 1. Calling sessions will be Monday through Thursday from 6-8 p.m.  A minimum of 2 sessions required per week.  Pay is $8.25 per hour, and additional cash incentives and giveaways may be earned.  There will be a training session held for new callers, an on-site coordinator always available to assist with calls and all the calls have lead-ins – no “cold calls”!

If you are interested in applying for a Phonathon position, please call Jennifer Jacobs at (812) 488-2021 or jj130@evansville.edu.  

Music therapy students are taking advantage of 4 new area practicum sites established this semester at Deaconess Hospice, Deaconess Riley Hospital for Children, Deaconess Cross Pointe, and  the SMILE Center.  These sites offer students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience working in medical, mental health, and community settings, as well as provide much needed services to the Deaconess Health Care system and the SMILE Center.

Four UE music students will be attending the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Convention in Anaheim, California this weekend, January 19-22. The students, Katy Von Der Heide (freshman) Clara Wallace (junior), Nick Seibert, and Kaitlin Gress (seniors) will attend clinics, performances, and seminar sessions at the convention, which is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world. In addition, they will be touring EastWest Recording Studios in downtown Hollywood and meeting with professionals involved in the recording industry. The students will be accompanied by Dr. Brian St. John, director of orchestras and advisor in the Music Management program.

 Five UE students will participate in the 2012 Indiana Intercollegiate Band in Ft. Wayne, Ind., this Thursday and Friday, January 19-20.  Held in conjunction with the Indiana Music Educators Association Conference, the band will perform a concert on Friday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m. in the Embassy Theater in Ft. Wayne. The band consists of 75 university students from colleges and universities in the state of Indiana.  Allan McMurray, professor of music and director of bands at the University of Colorado will serve as guest conductor.  UE students Caleb Gorrell, Travis Guffey, Jessica Handy, Chelsea Masolak, and Meghan Pund are all members of the UE Wind Ensemble, Dr. Kenneth Steinsultz, conductor.  Dr. Steinsultz will assist in adjudicating auditions for the group.

Meg Atwater-Singer, collection management librarian and associate professor, published a recent article in the Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve (November/December 2011, p. 227-233) titled “Interlibrary Loan Satisfaction Survey at University of Evansville.”  Article describes ILL assessment survey, the process, its objectives, and outcomes.  Assessment survey was conducted during 2009/2010 academic year. Chief assessment survey outcomes included ILL satisfaction rate of over 80% by University’s student scholars and faculty colleagues, recommendations to strengthen ILL service, and opportunities to improve the next survey.

Senior Jesse Squires, whose major is computer science, recently had his first iOS app titled "iPaint uPaint" accepted to Apple's AppStore. It's a finger-painting app featuring wireless collaborative painting between users. It works with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. You can find it here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ipaint-upaint/id492262759?ls=1&mt=8

For those of you basketball lovin’ students there will be plenty of chances to catch your Purple Aces in action at the Ford Center.

Tonight the men’s basketball team hosts Bradley University at 7:05 p.m. We will have a special halftime presentation recognizing Student-Athlete Academic Achievements. The men’s basketball team is coming off a thrilling OT victory at Missouri State this past Sunday. Bradley has been struggling this season going 1-6 in league play so let’s make sure to struggle tonight by making the Ford Center an intimidating environment. The student shuttle will depart from the Carson Center 30 minutes and 15 minutes before tip-off.

The women’s basketball teal hosts the Wichita State Shockers Thursday night at 7 p.m. The women’s basketball team is looking to bounce back after a tough road swing this past weekend. They could sure use some student support to help them turn their season around.

On Saturday both the men’s and women’s basketball team play at the Ford Center. The women tip-off at 2:00 p.m. against Missouri State and the men look to avenge a last second loss at Illinois State as the Redbirds come to the Ford Center Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The student shuttle will depart from the Carson Center 30 minutes and 15 minutes before tip-off.

As always students receive free tickets with their student ID.
 

On Wednesday, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will be back at the Ford Center, playing host to Bradley at 7:05 p.m.

The Purple Aces put an abrupt half to a four-game losing streak with an 87-82 overtime win at Missouri State.  The Bears led by five points with 39 seconds remaining, but a pair of Denver Holmes three-pointers helped to send the game to overtime where the Aces never gave up the lead while pulling away for a five-point win.  In the last three road wins for UE, they have overcome double-digit digits in the second half each time.  The win marked the first for UE in Springfield since the 2003-04 campaign.

Entering Sunday’s game at Missouri State, junior Lewis Jones was averaging 4.8 points per game while notching just one double-digit scoring effort, that being a 12-point game against Butler.  Jones changed that in a big way against the Bears, notching a career-high 24 points.  In the first half alone, Jones eclipsed his previous career-best of 13 points.  Jones connected on 9-of-14 buckets while hitting all six free throws.  He also tied his career-high with seven rebounds.

Junior Troy Taylor had a stellar week for the Aces, notching a pair of double-doubles in three games.  Taylor began the week with a performance that saw him fall just three assists shy of the second triple-double in program history as he notched 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.  After recording seven points against Drake, Taylor came back with the top game of his collegiate career, posting 14 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Missouri State.  Both marked career highs for the Anderson, Ind. native.

With a win on Sunday at Missouri State, the Aces now have road victories against Missouri State and Northern Iowa.  It marked just the second time since entering the league that UE has picked up road wins against both schools in the same season with the other being in 1998-99 when Evansville won the regular season MVC crown.  Since entering the MVC, UE is 5-13 on the road versus Missouri State and 5-12 away from home against UNI, but since the beginning of the 2002-03 season, UE has combined to go 3-17 in road games against the two schools.

Colt Ryan has been an unstoppable force in MVC playing, leading all players through five games with 25.4 PPG.  The junior scored 25 points or more in each of the first four games before settling for 17 in the road contest at Indiana State.  Ryan has continued to climb the all-time UE scoring list and enters tonights game just 12 points behind current head coach Marty Simmons for 24th on the list.  Simmons scored 1,265 points in just two seasons with the Aces.

Bradley has struggled to a 6-13 mark in 2011-12 while going 1-6 in league play.  Taylor Brown leads the Braves with 16.8 points per game while Dyricus Simms-Edwards has scored 12.6.  Walt Lemon Jr. has chipped in an average of 12.1 PPG for the Braves.  They ended a six-game MVC losing streak on Sunday, grabbing a dominating 78-67 victory over Northern Iowa.  In an awkward game, the Braves went to halftime down by 12 (36-24) at the half, but came out firing, outscoring UNI by a 54-31 margin in the second period to grab the win.  Simms-Edwards finished with 26 while Brown had 23.  The Braves hit 22-of-27 free throws while holding UNI to 12 out of 18 from the charity stripe.

Evansville will continue at home this weekend as Illinois State will come to town for a 7:05 p.m. matchup on Saturday evening.

In an outstanding year both athletically and academically, 10-of-14 varsity sports teams at the University of Evansville earned academic awards from their national associations. Those teams will be recognized Wednesday night during halftime of the men’s basketball game versus Bradley University.

As a group, the 250 student-athletes at UE compiled a grade point average of 3.26 on a 4.0 scale during the most recent full school year.

The list of honored teams include:

The men’s cross country team, coached by Don Walters, earned Academic All-USA honors from the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the sixth consecutive year by posting a 3.38 team GPA. The women’s cross country team, also coached by Walters, earned the Academic All-USA award for the 11th consecutive year with a 3.56 team GPA.

The men’s golf team, coached by Jim Hamilton, earned the Team Scholar award from the National Golf Coaches Association for compiling a 3.30 grade point average.

The women’s soccer team, coached by Krista McKendree, captured the Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for the fifth consecutive year with a team GPA of 3.24.

The women’s tennis team, coached by Nick Mueller, earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Academic Team award for the 15th year, with a team grade point average of 3.52.  It’s the longest stretch of consecutive national academic honors for a University of Evansville sport.

The men’s swimming and diving team, coached by Rickey Perkins, earned the Scholar All-America Team award from the College Swim Coaches Association by compiling a 3.30 GPA and is ranked 10th amongst Division I schools.

The women’s swimming and diving team, also coached by Perkins, ranked second nationally among Division I Scholar All-America Teams with a 3.59 team grade point average.

The volleyball team, coached by Mike Swan, earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the seventh time in the last eight years with a team GPA 3.52.

The women’s basketball team, coached by Misty Murphy in 2010-2011, with Oties Epps taking over in late spring, earned a spot in the Women’s Basketball Association Academic Top 25 with a collective 3.34 grade point average.  The honor marks the fourth time in the last six years in which the Lady Aces have been nationally ranked.

Coached by Mark Redburn, the softball team was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for its academic achievements with a team GPA of 3.15.

In addition, the following student-athletes will be recognized for their outstanding performances in the classroom and earning individual academic recognition:

From the men’s golf team, Michael Sainz and Griffin Wood were named All-America Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Sainz, who completed his junior year in the spring of 2011, is a mechanical engineering major with a cumulative 3.28 grade point average.  Wood, who entered his senior year this fall, is a management major with a 3.35 cumulative GPA.

Softball players Maggie Little and Halie Malone were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-America Scholar-Athletes for their achievements in the classroom last season. They both achieved a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

From the tennis team Jessica Raatz was named to the ITA All-Academic Team for having a 3.20 or higher GPA.

Recent graduate Maggie Wood of the women’s golf team was selected to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team for Division-one.  Wood, was also a two-time selection to the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete Team. Wood graduated in May with a 3.79 GPA in writing.

Men’s swimming and diving team member Colin Gray was named a men’s at-large Academic All-America Team member. At-large teams are arguably the most difficult Academic All-America teams to make because of the large number of athletes eligible for selection. Gray went into his senior year this past August with a perfect 4.0 GPA, majoring in mathematics.  He spent the summer at North Carolina State University as part of the research experience for undergraduate program. Gray was UE’s fastest swimmer in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events. 
 

University of Evansville’s Caroline Lee and Sadie Wells have swept the Missouri Valley Conference women’s swimming weekly awards, being named this week’s MVC Swimmer and Diver of the week, respectively, as announced by the league’s office today.

Lee, a freshman, earns her first MVC accolade after turning in a perfect 3-for-3 performance last weekend to lead the Aces to a 162-132 victory over Vanderbilt. Taking first in the 200-IM as well as both the 100- and 200-breast, she was the only Purple Ace to tally three individual wins on the day. Her time of 1:06.85 in the 100-breast was just .73 seconds away from a personal best. Lee is currently ranked in the MVC’s Top-5 for all three events, claiming the fourth place time in both breaststrokes while hanging on to the number five spot in the 200-IM.

A junior, Wells earns her third MVC Diver of the Week title of the season. She claims this week’s award after paving the way for the UE divers in Saturday’s meet, sweeping both diving events to help the Aces take the win over the Commodores. The 2011 MVC Co-Diver of the Year finished the meet with final scores of 243.35 on the 1-meter and 266.85 on the 3-meter.

Weekend Performances:
Caroline Lee, Evansville, Fr., Shepardsville, Ky.
100-Breaststroke- 1:06.85, 1st of 6
200-Breaststroke- 2:24.67, 1st of 6
200-IM- 2:10.82- 1st of 3

Sadie Wells, Evansville, Jr., Monument, Colo.
1-Meter- 243.45, 1st of 4
3-Meter- 266.85, 1st of 4