W-2 forms were processed this morning for all employees and student workers. Employees and student workers who did not provide their consent to electronic W-2’s should receive their W-2 in the mail Friday or Saturday. If you already provided consent to electronic W-2’s, you can view/print your W-2 now. Simply log on to WebAdvisor, click on Employees or Students, click on W-2 Statements, and click on the 2014 tax year.

If you have not already provided consent for an electronic W-2, it is not too late. To take advantage of the electronic W-2 option, you must log onto WebAdvisor and select the option “W-2 Electronic Consent”. Click the first radio button to give your consent. You would then receive a paper and electronic copy this year. However, beginning next year, if you continue to consent to the electronic W-2 that will be the only version you receive. Among the advantages of electronic W-2’s: (1) you will have access to your W-2 a couple days earlier than a paper copy that is mailed to your home (2) you can print as many copies of the W-2 as you need. The electronic W-2 is IRS compliant and can be submitted with your tax return.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159 or gs55@evansville.edu. 

If you practice Judaism you are invited to attend the Religious Diversity Dialogue tonight at 7:00PM, meeting in the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration building, Room 170. In order to better understand the religious needs of the UE community, the Offices of Diversity and Equity, Religious Life, and International Programs have scheduled a series of Religious Diversity Dialogues in January and February. All members of the campus community are invited to attend a one-hour informational discussion by selecting the session that best identifies his/her religious affiliation. For example, if your religious affiliation is Jewish, you would attend the January 29 session; if you consider yourself spiritual, but not religious, you would attend the February 19 session, and so on. Your input is important and will help us understand how best to serve the religious community at UE.

Please plan to attend the session that best identifies your own religious affiliation.
Download the flyer for more information.

All sessions meet at 7:00 p.m. in Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall), Schroeder School of Business Building

International Club is back with a zap for our Spring semester! Our first event of the year promises a lot of fun and adventurous moments! This Saturday, January 31, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., we are going to play Laser Tag and mini-golf at Walthar's Golf and Fun. Join us by signing up on Thursday or Friday from 11-1 p.m. or 5-7 p.m. at the Ridgway University Center Lobby tables. Both activities will only cost $8.00 total! We are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday! 

Please join us for the third Mentor Speaker Luncheon Series on February 12 from 12:15-1:15 p.m. in Eykamp 253, Ridgway University Center. Our presenter (WebX) will be Katie Shanes from Cisco; her topic will be "Networking – Marketing Yourself."

If you wish to reserve a free boxed lunch, please RSVP to ds120@evansville.edu by Friday, February 6.

This event is open to the campus community. 

Venturing Crew 365 is skiing at Paoli Peaks on Saturday, February 7. The cost is $15 per person and it includes ski rentals and group lessons. Sign-ups will be on Thursday, January 29 from noon to 1:00 and Friday, January 30 from noon to 2:00 and 5:00 to 6:00 inside Ridgway University Center. Payment will be required in order to reserve a spot on the trip. There are limited spots available. 

The UE Bookstore will have a farewell reception for Linda Howard on Friday, January 30 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Bookstore. Linda will be leaving the University as the textbook clerk on that day. Please stop by and wish her well. 

The City of Evansville is assessing what needs to be improved with how buses operate in the Evansville area. There is a very short, but nonetheless very important, general public survey on the project website at www.metstransitstudy.info. To show exactly what University of Evansville students, faculty and staff need in terms of functional public transportation you are encouraged to take the time to complete the short survey. Please also pass this along to friends, family, co-workers, etc. 

The Honors Program is hosting Nerd Wars trivia night on Tuesday, February 17 at 7 pm in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center. Teams of five consisting of students, faculty, administrators, and staff will battle in a competition of wit while enjoying pizza, popcorn, and soda. The winning student team and the winning faculty/administrator/staff team will receive $25 MasterCard/VISA gift cards.

Registration materials can be picked up in the Powell Honors Lounge, from Jayme Williams in Room 238 in Koch Center, or can be done online by clicking here.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J2oZGQ29AdGKeS0MSENgRPGGnrCkVx-W29rUFubPB9s/edit?pli=1#gid=0

Entry fee is $5 per person.

Those who are unable to compose a team of five may still register and will be matched to make a team. Any questions can be emailed to Matthew at mb338.

Spectators are welcome and door prizes will be available to win!

Copies of the recently released publication of "The Undefeated Season" are now available in the UE Bookstore for $39.95. The book is hardbound and comes with a DVD of the championship game of 1964-65 Aces basketball season 

The Environmental Management System (EMS) on AceLink has updated significant environmental aspects, environmental targets and objectives. There are also new links to hazardous waste labels and hazardous waste lists. Go to AceLink/Areas/Environmental Management/EMS for details. Please call 2697 or email js652 with any questions or comments. 

Join the fun of Road Trip! The Office of Admission needs current UE students who live in the residence halls to host prospective high school seniors for Road Trip February 20-22. If you are available, you can apply to host at http://acelink.evansville.edu/forms/admission/RoadTripAssistance.cfm, by emailing Ashley Ross (aj53@evansville.edu) or Kenton Hargis kh88@evansville.edu), or stopping by the Office of Admission (OH 104). 

The Office of Cultural Engagement is hiring new International Orientation Leaders. We're looking for responsible, caring, and flexible student leaders who are up to the challenge of welcoming new international students to UE's campus this fall! This is a great opportunity for you to develop leadership skills and gain valuable global experience to add to your resume.

Pick up an application in the Cultural Engagement Office (2nd Floor Ridgway, back of Student Life Suite) or access the application online (https://docs.google.com/document/d/10wGvTr4ycVvTKCkRMXVbEWF7HxWgHVceR7-Yv7ln9vc/edit?usp=sharing).

Applications are due February 6th to the Cultural Engagement Office. Email ld101@evansville.edu with any questions. 

The Office of Cultural Engagement and International Services matches families with UE international students for intercultural communication and understanding for all involved. The Global Friends and Families Program is not a home-stay program, and matches will vary in length due to differing academic programs offered for international students. Students want to experience true American culture through a meal around your table, the bleachers at your child's soccer game, or simply a conversation over a cup of coffee. We'll provide you with ideas along the way! Find out more and register here (http://www.evansville.edu/ceis/friendsandfamilies.cfm) to be a Global Family! Please direct any questions to ld101@evansville.edu. 

The Office of Study Abroad is currently accepting applications for the 2015 International Cultural Immersion Experience: Trinidad and Tobago. The priority application deadline is Friday, February 20, 2015.

This program is open to students from all majors and will take place from May 25 - June 8, 2015.

Click here to apply or to learn more about costs, dates, and deadlines.

Please contact Marissa Mitchell, coordinator of short-term programs abroad, at mm353 or 488-2039 for additional information about the program. 

Hello, hello! Welcome back to the HartBeat! I hope you haven’t missed your favorite Aces too much! Last time I checked in, we were getting prepared for a couple of road games at Illinois State and Southern Illinois. We traveled back to Evansville, picking up two great wins! This past weekend was a bit of a struggle for our team, but we are still in a great place within the conference standings, and towards reaching our team goals.

Today’s blog is pretty interesting! I asked my teammates to tell me about their pets! Some of them have one, while others have many. Enjoy!

Kat Taylor: “I have a pet cat and her name is Khloe. I’ve had her for three years, and one unique thing about her is that she acts like a dog every time I call her name!”

Laura Friday: “I have a Golden Retriever named Lexi, who I’ve had for almost five years. She is never needy and always lovable. Whenever she wants someone’s attention, she continuously puts her paw on their leg until you notice! I also have a long haired Chihuahua named Maejor. He is a bog dog in a little dog body! He is tough and likes to show it. When he wants something or just wants to play fight with Lexi, he scrapes his feet back and forth on the ground, as if he were a bull ready to attack!”

Sasha Robinson: “I have two pets, a German Shepherd/Black Lab mix named Dane and Hugo the Hedgehog! Dane enjoys riding the four wheeler, as long as someone holds onto him. I have had him for five years. I recently got Hugo over Christmas break! He honestly doesn’t do anything cool, but he loves to run in his wheel all night long, so I gave him the middle name F.G., which stands for Forrest Gump!”

Sara Dickey: “Dewey is a little black and white part Border Collie puppy. He’s probably the cutest dog I’ve ever seen! I’m not the biggest fan of dogs, but I actually pet him when I’m at home. Then there’s Boo Boo. I don’t know what type of dog she is, but she has one leg that doesn’t work because she got hit by a car and all the nerves in her leg are dead. But, she’s as happy as a lark and still is able to run around like nothing is wrong!”

Peyton Langston: “I have one pet and he’s a rabbit named Bunny. I have had him for almost three years. Originally, Bunny’s name was CoCo, until we took him to the pet store and found out he wasn’t a girl! He is potty trained and runs freely around the house. Bunny hates the outdoors, and his favorite food is banana chips and Goldfish. Every night he sleeps under my parent’s bed.”

Ashley Hawkins: “I have a dog named Max and two cats named Cloe and Josie. I have had Cloe for five months, Max for seven years, and Jose for 18 years. Max is extremely bad and runs away a lot. Josie hates to go out and Cloe is bad as well, especially when she randomly attacks people! Josie is pretty old and was born on a boat. Once she broke her leg and wore a pink cast. Back in her prime she used to fight other dogs in the neighborhood.”

Hannah Owens: “I have three pets - one dog and two cats. My dog is a beagle/Bassett hound mix and his name is Brooks. He is my baby! My family adopted him from a shelter. Brooks is kind of a bigger dog but he likes to pretend that he is a lap dog and snuggle up right next to me on the couch. Brooks loves playing with our cats and thinks they enjoy it too. That is until he comes running back bleeding. He’s a sweetheart though!”

Asia Petitte: “I have four horses named Satin, Commanche, Gypsy, and Taylor; I also have five dogs named Bear, Riley, Izzy, Teiko, and Holli. We have five turtles – Monday, Tuesday, Tina, Rainbow, Rainbow, and Rainbow. Lastly, I have a bunny named Sophie. Satin loves to drink sweet tea right out of the can. If you open the can and hold it to her mouth, she will grab the can, tilt it back to drink, and make a mess! My dog Bear got his name because of how huge he is. When Bear stands on his hind legs, he can easily put his front paws on my shoulders. My grandpa brought turtles from the beach for me and my sister. The last time he brought us turtles was right before he passed away when I was 6 years old. I named three of them Rainbow because as a kid I loved rainbows! The two named Monday and Tuesday received their names because I didn’t know many words at the time. My sister named the biggest one Tina.”

Well, that is all I have for this blog! Follow us at UE Athletics on Twitter or on the radio at 91.5 WUEV as we take on the Indiana State Sycamores Sunday!

Also, I want to keep you updated on a few special events taking place at upcoming home games:

1. February 13 – “White Out” will be the theme!
2. February 15 – Breast Cancer Awareness “Pink Out” game. Come and show your support for those who have fought and survived! Susan G. Komen Foundation
3. February 27 – Alumni Game

Until next time…I’m Khart and be sure to be on the lookout for the next HartBeat!
 

The University of Evansville baseball team was selected fifth in the annual Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll and outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski was named to the Preseason-All-MVC Team, as announced by the league office Wednesday afternoon.

Evansville returns 19 letterwinners and seven position starters from last year’s team that won the MVC regular season championship with a 34-21 overall record and 15-6 mark in league play. The Aces garnered 28 total points in this year’s poll that was voted on by the league’s coaches.

Dallas Baptist was selected as the league favorite with seven of the eight first-place votes and 63 points overall. The Patriots topped Missouri State who received one first-place vote and 53 points for second. Wichita State (43) narrowly edged out the 2014 MVC Tournament champions, Indiana State (42) for third. Following the reigning regular season champion Purple Aces, Illinois State (26), Bradley (18) and Southern Illinois (15) rounded out the poll.

Kaczmarski, who was an All-MVC First Team selection each of the last two seasons, was one of three outfielders named to the Preseason All-MVC Team. The Cary, Ill., native led UE with a .315 batting average, .502 slugging percentage, 19 doubles, 50 runs batted in, 110 total bases and eight sacrifice flies.

The Aces begin the season on Friday, February13 with a three-game series at Arkansas Little-Rock.

UE has their first home game at Braun Stadium on Friday, February 27 when they play Oakland as part of a three-game series.

BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Dallas Baptist (7) 63
2. Missouri State (1) 53
3. Wichita State 43
4. Indiana State 42
5. Evansville 28
6. Illinois State 26
7. Bradley 18
8. Southern Illinois 15

PRESEASON ALL-MVC TEAM
2B – Paul DeJong, Illinois State
3B – Spencer Gaa, Bradley
SS – Tyler Leffler, Bradley
C – Daniel Salters, Dallas Baptist
UT – Dylan Becker, Missouri State
DH – Justin Wall, Dallas Baptist
OF – Kevin Kaczmarski, Evansville
OF – Daniel Kihle, Wichita State
OF – David Martinelli, Dallas Baptist
OF – Tate Matheny, Missouri State
SP – Jon Harris, Missouri State
SP – Sam Tewes, Wichita State
RP – Ryan Keaffaber, Indiana State
RP – Brandon Koch, Dallas Baptist