The University of Evansville has successfully concluded its 2013-14 annual fund campaign by achieving its goal of $1,000,000.  The University would like to thank all of the alumni, friends, parents, faculty, and staff of the University for their generosity.  The goal was surpassed on the last day of the fiscal year due to a challenge grant issued by the UE Alumni Association Board of Directors, which generated the gifts necessary to achieve this landmark goal for UE. 

Money raised for the annual fund will benefit UE students in the form of scholarships and financial aid. 
 

The Development Office at UE is pleased to announce a $50,000 two year grant from Old National Bank Foundation.

The Old National Bank Foundation contribution will be used by the University’s Diversity and Equality Office to build an anti-bias program during the 2014-2015 academic year. The anti-bias program will educate middle and high school students toward becoming anti-bias by learning about culture, racial identity, fairness, gender equity, family structures, differences in ability, and the celebration of holidays and cultural traditions.

The Office of Diversity and Equity’s Anti-Bias curriculum is an activist approach to educational curricula which attempts to challenge prejudices such as racism, sexism, ableism, ageism and homophobia. Anti-Bias curricula have a strong relationship to multiculturalist curricula and its implementation process. There is a need in the community to raise awareness of bias and work to providing middle and high school students with a solid understanding of social problems and issues while equipping them with strategies to combat bias and improve social conditions. The curriculum will promote analyzing society prejudices from different prospective, presenting different views of the subject and improving the overall environment of Southern Indiana schools and the Evansville regional community.

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations would like to share the most recent estate gift of $164,650 made possible by Edna Vinson. Edna received her Bachelors in Math Education from the University of Evansville (then known as Evansville College) in 1946. She was a teacher in the Evansville area for 38 years, teaching math at Bosse, North, and Harrison High Schools. Later in her career she was a math supervisor for grades K-12. She will be remembered as a wonderful and kind person; extremely thoughtful and intelligent; generous, cheerful, a great conversationalist, and the consummate teacher. Edna passed away at the age of 92 on March 13, 2014.

With the love she had for the University of Evansville and as a tribute to the education she received here, Edna made provisions in her estate plans to establish the Edna E. Vinson Scholarship. This endowed scholarship will be awarded to a sophomore, junior, or senior with first preference to an education major and second preference to a student majoring in mathematics. With this gift, Edna chose to leave her legacy at the University to help future generations of teachers.

Each February at Founders Day, the Alumni Association presents four awards to individual alumni who’ve made great achievements in their careers and in service to others and UE. The Alumni Awards Committee of the UE Alumni Association Board of Directors is now seeking nominations for the following awards:

Distinguished Alumnus Award
Young Alumnus Award
Samuel Orr Honorary Alumnus Award
Edie Bates Volunteer Service Award

Find out more about these awards, view a list of past recipients and link to the nomination form, visit http://www.evansville.edu/alumni/alumniAwards.cfm.

Nomination deadline is August 25. 

Congratulations to Brian Ernsting, biology professor and assistant vice president of academic affairs. Brian has accepted the position of vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He will begin his duties at Wartburg on August 1.

Wartburg is a liberal arts college of the Lutheran church (ELCA) recognized for professional preparation and community engagement.

Says Brian, “I am excited to pursue new opportunities at Wartburg, but at the same time I will miss my friends and colleagues at UE.”

Congratulations to Health Center Director Becky Ziliak on the birth of her new grandson. James Michael Ziliak was born on June 2nd at St. Mary's Medical Center weighing 6 lbs, 6 ozs. Proud parents are Jared Ziliak (UE 2005) and Jessica Ivy Ziliak. 

University of Evansville junior Kyle Freeland was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the eighth overall pick in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Thursday evening, becoming the third player in program history to be selected in the first round, joining Andy Benes (1988) and Steve Obenchain (2002).

Freeland, who was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and selected to the Louisville Slugger All-America Third Team, posted a 10-2 record and 1.90 ERA this season en route to earning Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. The Denver, Colo., native also racked up 128 strikeouts, a mark that ranks second in school history, against just 13 walks and limited opponents to a .214 batting average.

Over his three-year career, Freeland accumulated a 3.55 ERA and 282 strikeouts to rank second and fourth on Evansville's all-time lists, respectively. The junior left-hander struck out a career-high 15 batters on two occasions this season, which came in back-to-back starts against Charlotte (April 4) and Wichita State (April 11).

Freeland is the fifth player that has been drafted in current head coach Wes Carroll's six-year tenure. In addition, Freeland's eighth overall selection is second in UE history behind only Benes, who was taken with the first overall pick in the 1988 draft.