The February 2013 Employee Excellence award has been presented to Bob Szurgot, Business Systems Manager in the Office of Technology Services. A graduate of UE with a bachelor of science in Electrical Engineering, Bob came to work at UE in 2011. While his list of technical skills is impressive, Bob has quickly become well known across campus for his positive and helpful manner.  His style of working with departments, listening to issues and working through them to address them in a productive manner is a great example to the campus as to how business should be done. Those nominating Bob cited many examples of how he has provided excellent customer service and high quality of work. Thank you, Bob, for making UE a better place to work!
 

The Department of Music continues its First Tuesday Concert Series this evening at 7:30 with a concert titled "The Music of New York." The works performed will have various connections to the Big Apple.

For instance, the Eykamp Quartet will open the concert with the first movement of Antonin Dvorák's "American" Quartet, a piece inspired by the composer's time in the United States while serving as artistic director for the National Conservatory of Music in New York. Consortium Instructor of Flute Shauna Thompson and Professor of Piano Anne Fiedler will perform the Sonatina for Flute and Piano by Eldin Burton, a Modern composer with significant ties to New York and to the Julliard School of Music.

Most of the works will have ties to Broadway, however, including songs by George Cohen and Harry Warren and various selections from the works of Leonard Bernstein, longtime music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

The evening includes performances by several other Department of Music Faculty members, including Elizabeth Robertson, Marc Zyla, Gregory Rike, Richard Williams, John Truitt, Garnet Ungar and Ross Erickson.

The concert is free and open to the public.

The National Society of Leadership and Success is pleased to announce that former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani  will kick off the speaker broadcasts for spring 2013. The event is set for February 5 at 6:00 pm in Hyde Hall 126, Giuliani will be speaking on the topic, "Principled Leadership: In the Face of Change and Crisis.” 

Giuliani is the renowned 107th Mayor of New York City (1993-2001). Under his leadership, he reduced the overall crime and murder rate to make New York City the safest large city in America.  Just when New Yorkers were beginning to enjoy the city's revitalization, the unimaginable hit on 9-11. Giuliani swiftly marshaled his remarkable leadership skills to pull his city, and perhaps the entire nation, through the crisis.  As a result of his accomplishments, he was named "Person of the Year" by Time magazine, received an honorary knighthood by the Queen of England and awarded the "Ronald Reagan Presidential Freedom Award".  He has been touted as one of the most effective chief executives in modern American history.

The campus community is welcomed to attend the speakers offered by the National Society of Leadership and Success. Members will receive credit and Honors students will receive credit as well.

The Jostens representative will be at the UE Bookstore on Tuesday, February 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. near the entrance.  This will be the only visit during the year for the Jostens rep.  During this day Josten's will be offering up to 40% off on select college rings.  Women's rings start at $169 and men's at $189.  If you're looking to buy a college ring or just curious this is the perfect opportunity to place your order or get more information.  The offers are only good the day of the event.  If you have any questions please contact the UE Bookstore.

All members of the campus and local community are encouraged to attend I-House: India. Attendees will learn about another culture, lifestyle, food, and so much more. Bring your friends to enjoy the presentation and complimentary cookies this Wednesday at 7 pm. on the second floor of Ridgway University Center in the Class of 1959 Gallery.

Adventist Campus Ministries will be having Bible study on Wednesday night from 7-8 pm in Room153 (Eades Music Room) in the McCurdy Wing of Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building.

This week's discussion is Corporal Punishment. What were the methods and reasons for punishment during Biblical times? How does that apply today?

Anyone is welcome to attend and you can contact: Alexandra Statham (as509@evansville.edu) for more details.
 

The TIAA CREF representative will be on the UE campus on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 individual counseling sessions.  To schedule an appointment, call TIAA CREF at 1-800-732-8353 or 317-706-6200.   The sessions are held in the Clifford Rare Books Room of the University Libraries (Room 158).  If you have any questions, call Carol McCraney at extension 2943.

The next University of Evansville Andiron Lecture is set for Wednesday, February 6 in Eykamp 252, Ridgway University Center. The lecture begins at 4 p.m. with a social gathering with beverages preceding it at 3:45 p.m. The speaker will be Assistant Professor of Education Matthew Knoester. His topic is “International Struggles for Democratic Education.”

Knoester holds a master’s degree from Harvard and a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is a National Board Certified Teacher and was formerly a teacher in the Boston Public Schools, where he taught in a small, democratically-run school founded by MacArthur award-winner Deborah Meier. He recently published two books on democratic education: an edited volume, International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education, and a book about the school where he taught in Boston, Democratic Education in Practice: Inside the Mission Hill School.

In this lecture, Knoester discusses these books, making a case that expanding access to educational opportunities is important for cultivating democratic citizenship. He explains why this project is threatened by the current focus on marketization of schooling and by the view that the primary purpose of schools is training for economic development, rather than preparation for democratic self-rule.

For further information, call the series coordinator M. Christine Mohn at 812-488-2585 or the College of Arts and Sciences at 812-488-2589.

The Shemikah A. Colleton Aquatics Lab here at the University of Evansville (Department of Psychology/Neuroscience), in collaboration with Christian Lawrence of Harvard University and Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts has recently received adult zebrafish (AB strain) to conduct experimental investigations in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Embryos from these adult fish will be used to investigate the effects of ethanol exposure and rescuing via over-the-counter nutraceuticals.

The University of Evansville African American Alumni Association (UEAAA) is pleased to announce the application process for the Zerah Priestly Carter University of Evansville African American Scholarship is now open.  Alumni members raised the necessary funds to make this an endowed scholarship and named it in honor of Ms. Zerah Priestly Carter ’38, the first African American graduate of the University.

This scholarship will be awarded each year to  deserving African American UE student (s).  The 2013 scholarship funds are in addition to other financial aid/scholarships awarded to the recipient!  Interested and qualified students are encouraged to apply at this time. 

Scholarship Criteria:
Candidates must be African American, have sophomore standing as of Fall semester 2013, and have a 2.0 or higher grade point average.

Applicants must submit the following to be considered:

1) Completed application (http://www.evansville.edu/alumni/downloads/ZPCScholarshipApp.pdf) , 2) Written statement (not to exceed two pages) explaining his/her current professional goals, demonstrating his/her involvement in the African American community, and explaining why he/she is deserving of the scholarship. 3) Two letters of recommendation that verify and support the candidate’s community involvement activities.

Deadline:  Please return all materials to the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations by Friday, March 15, 2013.

The scholarship award will be presented at the UEAAA Annual Luncheon on Saturday, April 20,  2013.  All scholarship applicants should plan to attend this luncheon.  The luncheon is free for all UE students.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the office of alumni and parent relations, at 812-488-2586 or e-mail: Alumni@evansville.edu.

Are you interested in applying for a Benjamin Gilman Scholarship in support of your study abroad experience in Summer 2013 or Fall 2013?

If so, please attend one of two Gilman Scholarship Workshops on Thursday, February 7th at 5:00 p.m. or on Friday February 8th at 12:00 noon, both in SB 162.  A major goal of the Gilman Scholarship is to enable US citizens “of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad.”  The Gilman organization defines “limited financial means” as being a recipient of a federal Pell Grant.  Only US citizens who receive Pell Grants may apply.  Pell Grant recipients who are applying to a summer 2013 program of at least 28 days duration in one country may apply in this application cycle as well as students who will be abroad in the fall semester 2013. 

There is much useful information on the Gilman website:

www.iie.org/gilman

The application must be completed by March 5, so it is important to act promptly. 

This workshop will focus on the Summer 2013 and Fall 2013 application process, but students who are Pell Grant eligible and considering a future term abroad are also welcome to attend to start early planning. 

Questions?  Contact Earl Kirk (ek43) in the Study Abroad Office, SB 263. 
 

File the 2013-14 FAFSA by March 10 at www.fafsa.gov!

Returning students for 2013-14 should file the 2013-14 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for federal, state and University financial aid, including all federal student loans. UE's FAFSA school code is 001795.
Filing by March 10 is essential for Indiana residents, and highly recommended for all. Questions regarding the FAFSA should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid (Olmsted Hall, Room 116) at (812) 488-2364, (800) 424-8634 or financialaid@evansville.edu.

Beginning late February  – IRS Data Retrieval: The UE Office of Financial Aid recommends that eligible students use this tool, which is built into the FAFSA. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool transfers parent and/or student IRS tax information to the FAFSA. Federal income tax returns for 2012 must have been filed electronically for approximately 3 weeks to be available for this process. The IRS data retrieval function can be used for the initial FAFSA or to correct a submitted FAFSA which had been filed using estimated tax information.

Ralph Larmann's work, Coalopolis will be on display at the Swope Art Museum as part of the exhibition "Rivers to Oceans: Selections from the Indiana University Permanent Art Collection." Presented as part of "Year of the River," it presents 51 works of art from ISU's collection from the 19th to 21st centuries.

The exhibition includes 51 works of art that depict natural bodies of water and the commerce, wildlife, and recreational activity they attract and is divided into four thematic sections: water, land and wildlife; commerce; recreation; and social commentary. The exhibition will run from February 1 - March 9.

Guest curator Barbara Racker, curator of the ISU collection," will speak about the exhibition at 7 and 8 tonight. The event starts at 6 and continues until 9, and it is free!

Coincidentally, more of Larmann's work is also on display at the museum in a solo exhibition titled "Paradoxical Currents."

For its tenth and final Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters game, it has been announced that the Purple Aces will travel to Wright State for a February 23 game.Located in Dayton, Ohio, Wright State is 14-8 this season and 5-4 in the Horizon League.  They are 8-2 in home contests, falling in their last two games to UIC and Detroit.

The Raiders are led by a pair of scorers as Cole Darling averages 11.1 points per game while Reggie Arceneaux is just behind at 10.5.  Darling is also the top rebounder for WSU, hauling in 4.8 per game.  On top of that, he is a stellar free throw shooter, hitting 87.3% of his attempts.

This will mark Evansville’s first road game against Wright State and just the second meeting overall.  The squads met in the 1976 NCAA Tournament in a Regional Semifinal game at Roberts Stadium.  The Aces came away with an 85-75 win before falling in a close 75-73 battle to Eastern Illinois in the Regional Final.

Evansville will be making its 10th appearance in the BracketBusters program and has posted a 4-5 record in its first nine games.  Last season, the Purple Aces topped the Leathernecks of Western Illinois by a 65-48 final at the Ford Center.  Below are the all-time results from UE’s BracketBuster history.

2012 – vs. Western Illinois – W, 68-45
2011 – at Murray State – L, 72-47
2010 – vs. UIC – L, 82-80
2009 – vs. Miami (OH) – W, 75-61
2008 – at Eastern Illinois - W, 63-55
2007 – at Samford – W, 69-65
2006 – vs. UT-Martin – L, 69-62
2005 – vs. Loyola – L, 68-64
2004 – at Central Michigan – L, 90-73

The University of Evansville men’s basketball team will look for its second-straight win at Carver Arena as the Purple Aces will travel to face Bradley on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.Evansville is coming off of a 62-61 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Missouri State.  Colt Ryan tallied 24 points, 20 of which came in the second half.  He hit 8-of-19 shots while registering four assists.  Ned Cox also finished in double figures, tallying 12.

Egidijus Mockevicius has grown his game by leaps and bounds since the beginning of the season; averaging 4.5 rebounds per game on the season, the freshman has kicked it into high gear over the last five games, averaging 7.8 per contest, including a career-high of 13 against UNI; over that span, Mockevicius has also hauled in 3.8 offensive rebounds per outing.  The No. 4 shot blocker in the MVC has posted 13 in the last four games, including a career-high of six in the home game against UNI. 

Bradley fell to 13-10 overall and 5-6 in the MVC with a 75-58 loss at Creighton on Saturday evening; Dyricus Simms-Edwards led the way for the Braves with 18 points while Walt Lemon Jr. chipped in 15.  The Braves are 3-3 in their last six contests, including a 66-56 loss to the Aces on Jan. 23.

Lemon is the top offensive threat for BU as his average of 14.8 points per game leads the squad; he has also posted a team-high 81 assists to go along with 53 steals.  Simms-Edwards is just behind with an average of 11.8 PPG; he leads the squad with 67 steals.  Bradley is tops in the MVC and 37th in the nation as they force opposing teams into 15.7 turnovers per game; their defense also forced turnovers in 23% of the opposition’s possessions, a total that is 23rd in the country.

Just two weeks ago, these teams met at the Ford Center as Evansville held on for a 66-56 victory after leading by just two at the break.  Colt Ryan was the only player in double figures for UE, finishing with 19 on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting effort; Walt Lemon Jr. was one of three Braves in double figures, leading everyone with 22 points.  Egidijus Mockevicius led UE’s rebounding efforts with 10 to go along with seven points and four blocks.

On Sunday, Evansville will be back home for a nationally televised game versus Drake.  ESPNU will carry the game, which is set for a 7:05 p.m. tip at the Ford Center.

The University of Evansville athletics department has announced three promotions for men’s and women’s basketball games over the next two weeks.For Sunday’s game against Drake at the Ford Center, it will be Throwback Night.  The 7 p.m. game is set to be televised by ESPNU.  The first 1,000 fans will receive a Jerry Sloan replica jersey t-shirt.  All fans are encouraged to wear orange to the contest.

The men’s and women’s teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday, February 16 as the men will take on Creighton at 2 p.m. in another ESPNU game while the women take on Illinois State at 5 p.m. 

For the men’s game, we encourage all fans to wear purple as the team goes for the season attendance high.  The promotion is entitled “Pack Ford Center Purple” as the Aces take on nationally-ranked Creighton. 

Later that day, the women’s team will play Illinois State in the “Hoops For A Cure” game.  Silent and Chinese auctions will be set up for this and the men’s game versus Creighton with all proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Portions of the ticket sales to the game will also benefit the foundation and cancer survivors will be recognized at the game.

More information will be announced closer to the games.