Come to I-House on Wednesday,  April 13, at 7 p.m. in the Class of 1959 Gallery on the second floor of Ridgway University Center for a program on Bahrain presented by Suha Hebaishi! Attendance at I-House is worth .25 honors points.

The speaker for the Crick Lecture on Wednesday, April 13, will be Derek Jones, who was a UE undergraduate in philosophy and creative writing and who is now a Ph.D. Candidate at IU. The lecture, which is at 4 p.m., will be in Room 100 in Koch Center. Jones' topic will be "Animats as Biological Models: Exploring the Realization Space of Behavior Types."

Jones explains his premise of his lecture is that "the practice of modeling behavior using "animats" - abstract computer-generated agents - has been recently subjected to criticism.  The central complaint is simple: since animats bear little structural resemblance to biological systems, it isn't clear what animal models are models of ...  I identify and defend a central epistemic presupposition behind animat modeling research, namely the idea that modelers can gain new knowledge about biological systems without modeling the specific underlying mechanisms of those systems. The critique of animat modeling presented by Webb (2009) and Bechtel (2009) can be viewed as presenting a skeptical challenge to this presupposition. I will attempt to offer a defense of this thesis and consequently of animat research, highlighting both the direct and indirect ways in which animat models can provide knowledge about biological systems in the absence of Webb-style biological grounding."

The English Coffee Hour Senior Reading is set for Thursday, April 14 at 4 p.m. in Eykamp 253, Ridgway University Center. Each spring the graduating writing majors read from their poetry and prose. The Department of English also announces the winners of the Virginia Grabill Writing Awards and the George Klinger Memorial Prizes For Excellence in Writing. Please join us for a delightful and often moving send-off to these seniors.

Please join the Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Department in extending best wishes to David Mitchell, associate professor of electrical engineering, on his retirement at a reception on Tuesday April 19. The event will be from 1:30-4 p m in the Class of 1959 Gallery and Lounge in Ridgway University Center. Refreshments will be served.
 

All former and future Harlaxton students, faculty and staff are invited to take part in activities planned for the Harlaxton 40th Anniversary Reunion weekend.   Check out the full schedule of events at http://www.evansville.edu/harlaxtonsociety/reunionweekend.cfm.  As you’ll note, Dr. Bujak will be at UE for the weekend and making a few presentations.  These events have no charge and do not require registration. 

Other interest/educational sessions scheduled include:

Friday, April 15 at 3 p.m. – The Gardens of Harlaxton by Dr. Mark Valenzuela, Eykamp Hall
Friday, April 15 at 4 p.m. – Life in the Grand Manor by Dr. Edward Bujak, Eykamp
Saturday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m. – Up the Naked Mile and Down Memory Lane led by Dr. James MacLeod and Dr. Michael Carson, Eykamp Hall
Saturday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m. – Harlaxton Then and Now Panel Discussion, Eykamp Hall

Over 100 alumni from a variety of schools have already registered – including many members of the original class.  Some Harlaxton alums are coming from as far away as Turkey.  There will be many opportunities to meet new people and share Harlaxton stories.  Everyone’s invited to share in the celebration.  Questions?  Contact alumni@evansville.edu or extension 2586. 

Thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors and individual donors, CYPRESS (the Committee to Promote Respect in Schools) is pleased to offer free admission to UE students at the Saturday evening performance of Brundibar, 7:30 p.m. at the Victory Theatre. Free student admission is valid beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Go to the box office on Sixth Street and show your UE ID.

Students are also invited to attend either of the free school performances on Monday, April 18. There will be a 9 a.m. performance and a 10:45 a.m. performance. No ticket is necessary for either of these performances.  

Brundibar is a children’s opera depicting the triumph of the human spirit over oppression.  It was originally performed 55 times by children in the Terezin concentration camp during the Holocaust. The only surviving member of the original cast, Ela Weissberger, will be the special guest at all performances.  Ela  portrayed the cat in all 55 performances during WW II.

The Volunteer Services Office will be sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive. Sign up dates are April 18-20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Ridgway University Center. The blood drive will be April 26 from noon until 6 p.m. For more information please contact the Volunteer Services office. We encourage everyone to sign up to give.

 

Do you need access to an online biography of George Washington or George W. Bush? Do you need the address for the Medicare office in Washington, D.C.? Do you need an overview of Iraq and the Gulf Wars? CQ Press Political Reference Suite Online Editions can provide all this information. The Political Reference Suite Online Editions allows access to content from CQ Press's reference titles on government and politics. 

Selected titles included in UE Libraries’ subscription include:
Congress and the Nation
(legislative history, policy analysis, and key votes since 1945),
the Contemporary Middle East
            (documentary history of the Middle East since World War I),
Guide to Congress
            (history, organization and function, powers and procedures),
Guide to the Presidency
            (structure and operations of the executive branch and biographies),
Guide to U.S. Elections
            (historical and statistical coverage of federal and gubernatorial elections in U.S.),
Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court
            (history of the court, important cases, Justice biographies),
Political Handbook of the World
            (political information on more than 200 countries),
and the Washington Information Directory
            (key contacts at government agencies and national organizations).
Features in the CQ Press Political Reference Suite include:
• Capability to search across all CQ Press Online Editions with a simple search
• Advanced search options by keyword across full texts or specific topic areas
• Personalization options that save user profiles, document history, and searches
• Links to available external resources

Contact Kathy Bartelt at kb4@evansville.edu or Shane White at sw69@evansville.edu with comments or questions.
Links are active on the campus network OR when you are logged into Off Campus Access.

The Office of Admission will have a photographer on campus for a photo shoot, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, April 13, 14, and 15. UE students and faculty have always been very cooperative and accommodating during previous shoots and as a result, many great photos have been taken for UE publications. Kim McDonald will try to notify faculty in advance if photos will be taken in a particular class, however, often weather unexpectedly can force the shoot inside and it is possible that last minute requests will be made. If faculty members know that they will be giving a test or do not wish to be bothered any of these three days, they should please inform Kim McDonald at ext. 2683 and the classroom will be avoided.

The Newman Club will be in Ridgway University Center with its annual Lenten collection jar during lunch and dinner during the next several days. This year's collection will go to the Red Cross for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Please consider making a small donation.

Use this link to the Groupon website for today's side deal of two tickets for only $10 to the UE Theatre production of The Farnsworth Invention, written by Aaron Sorkin.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/university-of-evansville-theatre?c=all&p=1

Aaron Sorkin is the award-winning writer of The Social Network, A Few Good Men, The American President and The West Wing. The UET production of The Farnsworth Invention is the college theatre world premiere of this
2007 Broadway play.  The play's scenario:  Two men had big dreams for small screens, and the seamless story follows the battle between Philo Farnsworth and RCA tycoon David Sarnoff for the patent rights to the technology that allowed the first television transmissions.

Use this link to see Roger McBain's review in the Evansville Courier and Press: 
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/apr/09/farnsworth-cast-illuminates-story-of-tvs-start/

Use this link to see a video preview, with comments by Professor R. Scott Lank, director of The Farnsworth Invention:
http://www.courierpress.com/videos/detail/farnsworth-invention/

Only four performances remain: April 14, 15, and16 at 7:30 p.m. and April 17 at2 p.m.  The ticket office can be reached at 812­488-­2031, Monday through Saturdayt.  UE students may pick up one FREE ticket on the day of the performance they wish to attend.

The Department of English’s international poetry journal Measure is looking for two interns to fill vacancies for the 2011-2012 academic year.  These positions, which can be taken for credit or non-credit, entail various responsibilities, including reading and selecting submissions for publication, corresponding with contributors, editing and proofing new issues, and contributing in various clerical capacities. If you are interested in applying, please contact Professor Rob Griffith for an application form (rg37@evansville.edu).  Deadline for application is April 15.  They will be looking for applicants who have a strong interest in reading and writing poetry and who have completed copyediting and at least one course in poetry writing.  Other advantages would include internship experiences in editing, upper-division courses in writing poetry, and knowledge of HTML and layout programs such as InDesign (though these skills are not required).
 

A light blue Olympus digital camera is missing. The camera was last seen at the Phi Tau house. Please email bh129@evansville.edu with any information. 

In order to prepare for the upcoming Bike Race, all vehicles must be removed from Lot H by 5 p.m., on Wednesday, April 13.  Vehicles remaining in the lot after this time may be towed.  The removal of vehicles is necessary so the lot can be prepared for the race which is set for Saturday April 16.  Vehicles must be moved by Wednesday evening so the lot can be restriped and time trials can be held Thursday, April 14.  The lot will be reopened for parking by Sunday morning at the latest. Please note - vehicles must be moved to legal parking places for the permit category held by the driver.  The use of Lot O, by the Armory, and Lot Q, by the General Services building is recommended. 
 

Sunset Concert will be held on Friday, April 15. The only dinner service that day will be at the concert. This year the menu will be a taco bar with beef, chicken and beans and all the toppings. You can purchase your meal ticket between now and the day of the concert. Tickets can be purchased with a  meal, flex dollars, cash or credit. If purchasing without using a meal the cost is $8.35.

Students can attend upcoming athletic events and register to win prizes courtesy of the Athletic Department. Today the women’s tennis team plays Creighton at the Carson Center at 2 p.m.  Students who attend this game can sign-up for the chance to win a flip HD video camera.  The drawing will take place around 4:30 p.m. and you must be present to win.  Look for the registration table located at the tennis court! Also, students who attend the softball game on April 16 - Aces vs. Illinois State - and April 20 - Aces vs. Southern Illinois - will have the chance to win a gift card.  You’ll need to sign-up at the marketing table by the press box. Those that attend the games on April 16, 20 and April 30 and sign-up will have the chance to win an iPod shuffle.

The concession stand will offer $1 popcorn at the baseball and softball games on April 9 and 16 and with free admission for students - it’s very affordable.

Finally, the first 25 students to attend the softball game on May t will receive an orange Aces T-shirt.

Remember ALL athletic events are free with your UE student ID card so come and enjoy the great spring weather and show your UE spirit!

Kristen (Woszczynksi) Lund, a 2008 graduate of UE, has joined the Office of University Relations as the chief liaison between UE and all external media outlets. She will replace Joe Atkinson in that role, after Atkinson was named UE’s Associate Director of University Relations and Director of Digital Media.

“As a University of Evansville student, I gained a firsthand perspective on the life-transforming educational experiences UE offers,” Lund said. “Now, as Director of News Services, I look forward to helping my alma mater advance its outstanding reputation.”

Lund, a native of Columbus, Ind., enrolled at the University of Evansville in 2004 after earning a full-tuition academic scholarship as a National Merit Scholarship winner. She double-majored in writing and international studies and minored in literature. Lund graduated summa cum laude in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Prior to graduation, she studied abroad for two semesters at Harlaxton College and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. She also completed an editorial internship with Tucker Publishing Group in Evansville.

Lund joined Tucker Publishing Group full-time in May 2008 as Staff Writer and was promoted to Senior Writer in July 2009. During her time at TPG, Lund’s responsibilities included writing and editing for the bimonthly Evansville Living and Evansville Business magazines, which have a readership of over 75,000 and have won national awards from the City and Regional Magazine Association. She also produced content for the company’s annual publications such as Evansville City View, as well as custom publishing projects and digital media outlets such as EvansvilleLiving.com and the weekly E Living e-newsletter.

Lund’s husband Eric graduated from UE in 2007 and works as a music therapist with Integrative Music Therapy, LLC.

The Residence Halls officially close for Summer Break at noon on Thursday, May 5. All Students are required to check out of their University housing 24 after their last final examination.  If you require additional time please fill out the Extended Stay Request form online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/spring2011extendedstayrequest .  Students may be charged up to $35/night depending on the reason for staying.  Requests for Extended Stay must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Reading and Study Day (April 27).

The University of Evansville Wind Ensemble performed on Friday, April 8, at Libertyville High School in Libertyville, Ill. On Saturday, the Ensemble performed a special concert for the Chicagoland Invitational Concert Band Festival at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Ill. Fourteen high schools and three middle schools from the Chicago area participated in the festival. The UE Wind Ensemble was the feature performance for the evening session, and they received a standing ovation from the audience. Dr. Kenneth Steinsultz, Director of Bands at UE, served as an adjudicator/clinician at the festival, as well as directing the Wind Ensemble performance.

UE students Andrew Baker, Joanne DeMaio, Brittany DeWitt, Kaylea Flater, Allison Hayden, Danielle Raymond, Rebecca Totton, Kandace Leehands, Bethany Sanstrum and Lacey Conley presented their undergraduate research findings at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research month at Ithaca College in New York. The students were accompanied on their journey by Dr. Don Batema and Dr. Lora Becker. The majority of the students’ research and travel were funded through the UExplorer Program.

Assistant Professor of English Mark Cirino was an invited scholar last weekend at Hofstra University’s celebration of its 75th anniversary. The theme of the conference was “1935: The Reality and the Promise.” Dr. Cirino participated in a panel devoted to American Literature between the world wars. His paper was titled “Hemingway’s Thirties: A Decade of Conversion.”

Pat Colter died Saturday, April 9. She was the wife of UE Professor of Philosophy Larry Colter. Pat loved the University and its people, and had been active in coordinating and leading the Wednesday Morning at UE class for the past 10 years. She also led a group of adult education students at Harlaxton about 10 years ago and ran the naked mile with them. She is survived by her husband, her daughter Theresa Thielemann and her husband Paul, and two grandchildren, Mitchell and Stephanie Thielemann. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., and a Memorial Service at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 at the Alexander Newburgh Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pat Colter Scholarship Fund at Old National Bank in Newburgh, Indiana.

Fresh off its first Missouri Valley Conference series win, the University of Evansville softball team will travel to Saint Louis Wednesday for a doubleheader with the Billikens. The midweek matchup will mark the final nonconference games of the season for the Aces.  First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.

The Aces (9-28) are now 3-9 in the Valley after posting a 2-1 record against Indiana State last weekend. Evansville's offense delivered two 11-hit games and hit .360 on the weekend to win the series against the Sycamores.

Sophomore Alicia Betancur was 3-for-9 on the weekend, collecting four RBI and belting her second home run of the season. Freshman Kacey Rogers also hit a homer against the Sycamores, extending her hitting streak to three games. Freshman hurler Taylor Perry picked up her first collegiate win and save during the weekend series, allowing just nine hits in 11 innings of work in the circle.

Senior Jen Stahlhut leads the UE offense and is ranked fifth in the Valley with a .346 batting average. Stahlhut and junior Amy Gaertner are both tied for third in the MVC with ten doubles so far this year. Stahlhut is just three doubles away from moving into third place in UE's career record book. Gaertner leads the team with four home runs, and is just two away from breaking into the top five for career home runs at UE.

Senior Kelci Alsip brings a six-game hitting streak into the doubleheader. This week's Vectren Student-Athlete of the Week, Alsip hit .400 at the plate in the last six games, tallying six runs, three RBI, two doubles and a triple. Alsip was also only one of two Purple Aces to notch hits in both games against No. 16 Missouri last Wednesday.

Scouting the Billikens:
Saint Louis University Billikens (22-17, 7-5 Atlantic 10) The Billikens are most recently coming off a split against Dayton in last weekend?s Atlantic 10 matchup. SLU notched an 8-0 win over the Flyers in game one before dropping the nightcap 4-0.

As a team, SLU is hitting .260 with 54 doubles and 10 home runs. The Billikens' lineup is led by Kristin Nicoletti, who paces the team with a .341 batting average and 57 total bases. Nicoletti is also a threat on the base paths, swiping 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts already this year. Alyson Brand leads the Billikens with 25 RBI while Kristain Burger has totaled a team-high four home runs.

The Billiken pitching staff owns a 3.11 ERA with 240 strikeouts in 256.2 innings pitched. Hannah Huebbe and Kelcie Matesa split nearly equal time on the mound. Huebbe carries a team-best 2.61 ERA into Wednesday, posting 85 strikeouts in her 102.0 innings of work. With an ERA of 2.79, Matesa comes in with 106 strikeouts in 98.0 innings in the circle.

University of Evansville diver Andy Balczo and swimmer Colin Gray were among the 14 student-athletes selected today for the 2010-11 Mid-American Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Academic All-MAC Team.  In addition, swimmer Kyle Tiemann was named honorable mention. The team was chosen by faculty athletic representatives at MAC institutions. Both Balczo and Gray were Academic All-MAC honorees in 2009-10.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for student-athletes who excel in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.

A native of Evansville, Balczo ended his diving career on a high note, winning 11 individual events this season. The senior set a school record on the 3-meter board, posting a score of 318.9 to pass Brett Fox?s record of 316.46 set in 1995. Balczo made history on October 20 when he became the first Purple Ace ever to be named MAC Swimmer of the Week. Balczo ended the season by placing 15th on the 1-meter and 13th on the 3-meter board at the 2011 MAC Championships. He also qualified for the 2011 NCAA Zone C Championship, marking his second consecutive year of competing at the prestigious meet. A 2010-11 Vectren Student-Athlete of the Week selection, Balczo holds a 3.69 GPA in business management.

Gray notched three first place finishes this season and was the only Purple Ace to win an event for the men?s team at the December 4 meet at Western Kentucky. A consistent breaststroke swimmer, Gray owned the team?s top times in both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke. The Carmel, Ind., native placed 17th in both the 100-breast and 200-breast in the preliminary heats at the MAC Championship, turning in a season-best time of 2:12.75 in the latter. The junior holds a perfect 4.0 GPA in mathematics (pre-doctoral).

Tiemann was named to the Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention team after finishing in 14th place in the 100-yard freestyle at the MAC Championships. The sophomore also swam season-best times in the 50-yard, 100-yard and 200-yard free at the MAC Championships. Tiemann posted a first place finish for the Aces against Centre College on October 16. From Indianapolis, Ind., Tiemann carries a 3.43 GPA as an accounting major.

 Making his second start of the season, sophomore Josh Biggs pitched a gem Tuesday night at Braun Stadium, piloting Evansville past Saint Louis University, 6-4. Biggs threw the complete game, giving up four runs, all unearned, five scattered hits, just one walk, while mowing down a career-high six batters. With the win, Evansville improved to 18-12 on the season, snapping a three-game skid, while SLU fell to 20-13 overall.

Seniors Greg Wallace and Ryan Oesterle led the Aces at the plate, both going 3-for-5. Classmates Cody Fick, Jared Baehl, and Ty Legan also contributed to UE’s 13 hits on the night with two apiece.

The Billikens took the initial lead in their first at-bats with an unearned run when Nick Becker reached on an error and scored on Zach Miller’s RBI double to go ahead 1-0.

However, Evansville snatched the lead away with two runs in the bottom of the frame and never looked back. Fick sparked the two-out rally with a single to right field. Oesterle’s double put the Aces on the board and junior Trentt Copeland followed with an RBI single to left field to go up 2-1.

UE struck again in the second inning when Wallace singled home freshman Jake Mahon who reached on a walk to go ahead 3-1.

The Billikens retorted with one in the top of the third as Cody Cotter reached on a hit-by-pitch, advanced to third on a wild pitch and pass ball, and scored on a ground ball out, to make it a one-run game.

Leading off the bottom of the inning, the Aces loaded the bases on Oesterles’ single, Copeland’s fielder’s choice, and Baehl’s single to left field, setting up senior Nate Smith’s sacrifice fly that plated Oesterle from third. Mahon followed with a groundout to the pitcher that allowed Copeland to cross the plate, as well, to give UE a 5-2 advantage.

Biggs dominated the next four innings, and didn’t give up another run until the eighth when two scored unearned. Cotter led off the frame with a single and advanced to third on a throwing error that allowed Becker to reach and take an extra base. A sac fly brought in Cotter and Steve Fernandez’s double plated Becker to cut it to one run again.

However, the Aces tallied an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, sealing the win as Biggs put the Billikens down in order in the ninth. Ty Legan singled to start off the eighth, advanced to third on  sophomore Eric Stamets’ sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, and scored on Wallace’s bloop single to right field.

SLU’s Jerry Mancuso (2-5) took the loss, throwing three innings, giving up five runs on six hits. The Billikens also threw four out of the bullpen, including Steve Jensen who threw four scoreless.

Biggs’ groundball style of play gave Fick at first base 18 putouts in the game, one away from tying the program record set by Phil Broshears in a 22-inning game in 1999 and Keith Auville in 1985. Biggs allowed just two outs on fly balls out of the infield.
The Aces resume Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, taking the long trip to Wichita State in search of their first conference win. The first game is set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
 

University of Evansville golfer Griffin Wood has been selected as the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week, Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today. 

Wood, a junior, finished fourth in a field of 78 golfers Sunday at the Hoosier Invitational on the Indiana University Golf Course. He shot rounds of 71, followed by a career-best 68, and 73 to complete the tournament with a 54-hole score of 1-under-par 212.  Led by Woods' effort, the Purple Aces placed third among the 15 teams in the event for their highest finish of the spring season.  Wood has a 3.35 grade point average, and majors in management. 

Wood and his teammates play this weekend at the Yestingsmeier Intercollegiate at Muncie, Ind.  It's the final tuneup prior to the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship April 25-26 at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.

Now in its 12th year of existence, The Valley's Scholar-Athlete program is sponsored by Prairie Farms, Roberts and Hiland Dairies.  On a weekly basis, the Conference honors its student-athletes for their athletic performance for a one-week period and academic success in the classroom.

To qualify for Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week laurels, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.  Redshirt freshmen and first-year junior college transfers are not eligible.