During the period of April 10 through April 24, benefit-eligible employees may enroll in the UE health, dental, and ACES flexible spending account benefit plans. This period also provides an opportunity for employees to make changes between levels of coverage. It is the only chance for benefit eligible employees to enroll or make changes until the next open enrollment period unless you have a qualifying change in status.

Enrollment/change forms are available during open enrollment meetings and in the Office of Human Resources.  If you don't want to make any change to your coverage, you do not need to complete any forms (unless you want to enroll in the ACES flexible spending account for 2015-16).

Please consider attending one of the following open enrollment meetings to learn about benefit changes for the next year. All of the meetings will be held in Eykamp Hall Room 251 in Ridgway University Center at these dates and times:

• Friday, April 10 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am
• Friday, April 10 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
• Monday, April 13 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am
• Monday, April 13 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
• Tuesday, April 14 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am

Please contact the Office of Human Resources at ext. 2943 with any questions. 

Spring is a busy season for the Admissions Office with numerous visitors to campus. We have three scheduled visit days on April 11th, April 24th, and May 15th. Please help us welcome our guests by keeping the parking in front of Olmsted Hall, especially the purple marked areas, open for their convenience. Thanks in advance for helping our prospective students feel welcome!

The final installment of the Creative Writing department's #readingseries will be this Friday, April 10 at 4 pm at The Slice. Our wonderful readers--Tia Balmer, Brittney Kaleri, and Anjelica Allen--will be sharing their original fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

In addition to the reading, we are also collecting kitchen supplies/cookware for the shelter at the YWCA. They are desperately in need of items like cookie sheets, cake pans, pots, pans, pizza pans, and casserole dishes. These items can be lightly used or new.

Please think about joining us at The Slice and bringing a kitchen donation with you. If you'd like to donate but can't make the reading, there is a box outside of Olmsted 416B for drop off. 

Douglas Reed, University Organist Emeritus, will perform the world premiere of William Bolcom’s Fantasia for organ and brass quintet on Friday, April 10, at First Presbyterian Church, 609 S.E. Second St., Evansville, at 7:00 p.m.
Commissioned by the Evansville Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the new work was written by the National Medal of Arts, Pulitzer Prize, and Grammy Award-winner William Bolcom, an American composer of chamber, operatic, vocal, choral, cabaret, rag-time, and symphonic music.

Reed will join the American Brass Quintet, 2013 recipient of Chamber Music America’s highest honor, the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award for significant and lasting contributions to the field. ABQ is internationally recognized as one of the premiere chamber music ensembles of our time, celebrated for peerless leadership in the brass world.

Reed’s son, Eric, is horn player for the ABQ which is in residence at the Juilliard School of Music.

The commission, concert, and residency of the American Brass Quintet celebrate the ongoing teaching and performance career of Reed, who retired in 2010 as an emeritus professor of music after 35 years of teaching in the UE Department of Music. 

In addition to primary funding from the Evansville AGO and former students and friends of Dr. Reed, major support has been granted by the Washington DC AGO Foundation, the Special Projects Committee of the San Francisco AGO Chapter, the Millennium Fund of the New York City AGO Chapter, First Presbyterian Church (Evansville), Neu Chapel Society of the University of Evansville, C. B. Fisk, Inc., the Vanderburgh Community Foundation, the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, and the American Brass Quintet Chamber Music Association Mini-Residency Fund for work with students in the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation and the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Come ROCK with the Chi Os! Join us Friday (Apr. 10) from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on the Grassy Knoll as we raise awareness and funds for Albion Fellows Bacon Center, a local resource for victims of domestic abuse. We will be accepting new hygiene items and monetary donations. 

Join us this Friday evening April 10 at 7:00 pm in Room 162 in Schroeder School of Business Building to watch a Spanish-language movie that shows the situation of women in Hispanic culture. For more information please contact Francis Prexl-Orti (fp21@evansville.edu) or Dr. Lorena Andueza (pa55@evansville.edu 

On Friday, April 10, at Angel Mounds, 7 PM, Dr. G. William Monaghan will speak on "Age and distribution of Phaseolus vulgaris in North America: Implications for group interactions and plant production system in eastern North America." The lecture is free and open to the public.

Abstract: The distribution and age of directly-dated domesticated beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) across North America indicate that beans spread rapidly east from the Southwest through the Plains and into the Great Lakes regions AD 1100-1200. Beans then spread south and west from the Great Lakes into the lower Ohio valley after AD 1300-1350. Few beans are reported from the Southeast and none have been directly dated. Beans were likely first linked with and diffused through Plains Village/Oneota and Iroquois groups and only later adopted by Mississippian agriculturalist or their descendants, which supports the contention that beans were very late additions in Eastern North America.

Bio: Dr. Monaghan received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1988 and currently is a Senior Research Scientist in the Indiana Geological Survey at Indiana University, Bloomington. In addition, he holds academic and teaching appointments in the Geological Sciences and Anthropology departments at the IU and IUPUI campuses. Monaghan has served as Associate and Interim Director of the Glenn A Black Laboratory of Archaeology (2005-2014) and Associated Director of the Mathers Museum (2011-2013). 

This Saturday, the Department of Music will present two student recitals in Wheeler Concert Hall. At 2:30 p.m., soprano Payton Judd will present her Junior Recital. A joint Senior Recital presented by mezzo-soprano Kirby Dawson and soprano Brittney Smith will follow at 4:00. Payton and Brittney are students of Assistant Professor of Voice Gregory B. Rike, while Kirby is a student of Assistant Professor Eric McCluskey. All three students give their recitals in partial fulfillment of their degree requirements.

On Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Wheeler Concert Hall, the University of Evansville and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra will present the annual Chamberpalooza!, a concert featuring the winners of the Eykamp String Quartet chamber music competition. Music majors from the University of Evansville and students from the Evansville Youth Philharmonic Orchestra participated in the competition, and the winners on the program Sunday night will perform movements of works by the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky. All of the weekend’s events are free and open to the public.
 

Family Weekend and Homecoming 2015 are set for September 25-27!

“Forever Purple” is the theme for Family Weekend and Homecoming, scheduled for September 25-27. The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations has started working on event planning. If your department or organization would like to have an event for parents during this weekend, please complete the "Family Weekend Event Form" by April 21, by clicking on this link: http://acelink.evansville.edu/Areas/Alumni/ , or by e-mailing the information to Alumni@evansville.edu.

Like past years' successful events, we would like to have a lot of student, school, and department participation! If you have any questions, please contact alumni@evansville.edu or extension 2586.

WNIN will be presenting a screening of Rory Kennedy’s Academy Award nominated documentary Last Days in Vietnam in Room 162, Schroeder School of Business Building, on April 18 at 6 p.m. Over the last days in Vietnam, with the clock ticking and the city under fire, 135,000 South Vietnamese managed to escape with help from a number of heroic Americans who took matters into their own hands. See their stories unfold, and stay after the film for a discussion with local Vietnam veterans.

Space is limited, please reserve your seat at wnin.org/television/Vietnam or by calling 812.423.2973
 

A special presentation on autism, “Rethinking Autism: Wretches & Jabberers,” is planned for Wednesday, April 15, 4:30-6:00 p.m., Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall) in the Schroeder School of Business Building. The presentation is being hosted by Optimal Rhythms, Inc., and is free and open to the public.

This autism awareness event will feature Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette, stars of the highly acclaimed autism documentary, Wretches & Jabberers, along with their support team Harvey and Pascal. Clips from the documentary will be shown, followed by a question and answer session.

To watch the trailer for the documentary, go here.

For more information, please call 812-488-2663 or 812-488-2500.

Bruce McPherson will be the speaker for the Wahnita DeLong Reading for the Creative Writing Coffee Hour on Friday, April 17. The event starts at 4 p.m. at the Mel Peterson Gallery. The reading is free and open to the public.

McPherson is the founding editor and publisher of McPherson & Company, an independent literary and arts press located in New York’s Hudson Valley.

In 2010, he published Jaimy Gordon’s fourth novel, Lord of Misrule, which received the 2010 National Book Award for fiction. Among the press’s forthcoming books is an anthology of essays, Every Father’s Daughter, edited by Margaret McMullan. 

A native of Atlanta, Bruce attended Evansville Day School, followed by Brown University and the Annenberg School of Communication at University of Pennsylvania.
 

Margaret McMullan will be speaking at the Mel Peterson Gallery at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 16. Everyone is welcome to attend.

McMullan is the author of six award-winning novels for adults and young adults, and she has received an NEA Fellowship in literature, a Fulbright at the University of Pécs in Hungary, and the Eugene and Marilyn Glick National Authors Award.

Her short stories and essays have appeared in Ploughshares, Southern Accents, TriQuarterly, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Southern California Anthology, and many other journals and anthologies. Her novel-in-stories, Aftermath Lounge, is forthcoming in 2015, and she is the editor of Every Father’s Daughter, an anthology of essays by women writing about their fathers with an introduction by Phillip Lopate, which is also due in 2015.

An MFA graduate of the University of Arkansas, Margaret is the Melvin M. Peterson Endowed Chair in Literature and Writing at the University of Evansville.

Join us for a trip to St. Meinrad Archabbey on Saturday, April 18. We will depart from the UE Newman Center at 10 AM. Lunch will be provided. Day includes time for individual prayer; tour of the grounds and campus; 4:30 pm Byzantine Liturgy. For more details or to sign-up email kr53@evansville.edu or call/text 812-760-8610. 

Please join us on Saturday, April 18 for Chutney, the annual student literary conference sponsored by the Department of English. Student panels are planned for 8:30 and 9:45 a.m. in Rooms 271 and 272 in Schroeder Family School of Business Building. The keynote address will be given by former UE Professor of English Bill Hemminger at 11 a.m. in Room 272. Hemminger, a member of the Department of English as well as the Department of Foreign Languages, taught at UE for 25 years. He won four Fulbright grants to teach at African universities; his book African Son describes some of those teaching experiences. Hemminger’s topic is “The Palm at the End of the Mind: Wallace Stevens and the Wild." Winners of the Grabill and Klinger writing award competitions will be announced immediately following Hemminger’s address. 

The Honors Program invites you to attend the Honors Program Project Presentations on April 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16.  These presentations showcase the project work of the 2015 Honors graduating class.  The Honors project is an opportunity for students to explore an area about which they are passionate. The Honors project may consist of a research project, thesis, or creative work.  Students may use the Honors project to launch areas of interest for graduate study or to expand résumés for employment.

We hope you will join us to hear the fascinating work that this year’s Honors graduates have completed.  Special thanks are extended to all faculty, advisors, and others who have supported the Honors students in their educational achievements. 

Please see below a schedule of presentations.

Tuesday, April 7 - 3:00 – 3:45 P.M.
Koch Center 100

• Chris Norris, Creative Writing / Literature
“Sink in the River”
• Anna Sheffer, Creative Writing / Literature
“Literary Translation of Latin American Poetry”

Tuesday, April 7 - 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Koch Center 100

• Jessica Ingle, Creative Writing / Literature
“Leonardo & Alec”
• Carly Herrud, Archaeology / Art History
“Comparison of American and British Museums”
• Tiffany Iseler, Nursing
“Volunteer Red Blood Cell Donations: The Shortage and Why It Must End, A Nurse’s Perspective”

Wednesday, April 8 – 3:00 – 3:45 P.M.
Koch Center 101

• Megan Moran, Biology / Environmental Administration
“Campus Sustainability Guide”
• Taylyn Lewis, Health Services Administration
“Aesthetic Marketing at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt”

Wednesday, April 8 - 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Koch Center 101

• Logan McGuire, Theatre Design
“One Man Radio Play”
• Logan Elizabeth Hardy, Theatre Studies
“Severing the Usurper's Cursed Head: Creating a Realistic Severed Head for the Stage”
• Jessica Intner, Theatre Performance
“Costume Designing A Streetcar Named Desire”

Thursday, April 9 - 3:00 – 3:45 P.M.
Koch Center 100

• Hailey Suggs, Theatre Performance
“Dancing at Lughnasa Dramaturgy”
• Kelly Lamarche, Biology
“Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus”       

Tuesday, April 14 - 3:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Koch Center 100

• Jacquelyn Ballard, Business / International Studies
“Does Investment in Green Initiatives such as Conservation Efforts Help Stimulate the Local Economies in the Long Run?”
• Gretchen Kohl, Economics / Spanish
“Economic Development in Chile”
• Suhrob Muratov, Accounting / Management
“XBRL Implementation Process by U.S. Federal Agencies”

Tuesday, April 14 - 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Koch Center 100

• Loren Oboikovitz, English Education
“The Importance of Fantasy Literature in Middle School Language Arts / Reading Classes”
• Hannah Bisch, Special Education
“cMoe-to-Go:  Outreach Boxes for Evansville's Special Education Classrooms”
• Alexandria Dryer, Classical Studies / Social Studies Education
“Molding Religions: Roman Reactions to Threatening Foreign Practices”

Wednesday, April 15 - 3:00 – 3:45 P.M.
Koch Center 101

• Sarah Dory, Electrical Engineering / Theatre
“Automation of a Conventional Theatrical Lighting Fixture via Ethernet”
• Aaron Reynolds, Computer Science
“Neural Networks and Parallelism”

Wednesday, April 15 - 4:00 – 4:45 P.M.
Koch Center 101

• Anjelica Allen, Political Science / Writing
“The Night Didn't Listen to Me”
• Kiki Jones, Literature / History
“Sanditon: Exploring Jane Austen's Uncompleted Work”

Thursday, April 16 - 3:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Koch Center 100

• Elizabeth Crooks, Nursing
“Sex Education: A Needed Revolution”
• Breianna Simpson, Nursing
“Would You Like to be an Organ Donor?”
• Tempa Auffart, Nursing
“Reaching the Masses: An Evidence-Based Practice Approach to Educating Communities”

Thursday, April 16 - 4:00 – 5:00 P.M.
Koch Center 100

• Cody Baker, Applied Mathematics / Cognitive Science
“Dependence Variability in Predictive Analysis”
• Kaitlyn Bell, Cognitive Science / Psychology / Philosophy
“The Psychological Effects of the Black Death: An Interdisciplinary Literature Review”
• Jackie Kossoff, Creative Writing / Communication
“Coordinating the World's Fairs: From the Great Exhibition of 1851”

The Chemistry Club will be having a bake sale on Saturday, April 11, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Ridgway University Center. Stop by to get some treats and learn what the Chemistry Club is all about! 

Omar Atia, executive director and imam of the Islamic Center of Evansville, will be speaking at the University of Evansville on Thursday, April 16, 7:00-8:00 p.m., Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall), Schroeder School of Business Building. A question and answer session will follow the lecture. Atia’s topic will be “Finding the Truth through the Noise – What Does Islam Really Stand For?” This event is free and open to the public.

Atia has been a community activist and motivational speaker for more than 15 years. Before coming to the Islamic Center of Evansville, he led youth and community development efforts in Indianapolis, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Atia’s blend of faith-based learning and real-world social-justice leadership enables him to provide a distinct take on Islam. His thought leadership stays true to faith tradition while providing a vision that is relevant and transformative for America.
 
Professionally, Atia is an internationally recognized leader in the fields of lean management and applied creativity. As co-founder and chief strategist of Thoughtfire, he has proven success stories with companies around the world, aiding transformations from mediocre performance to consistent, world-class results.

Atia graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s in interdisciplinary engineering. He has completed courses with the Islamic American University towards a bachelor’s in Islamic studies. He was born in Illinois, lived in Cairo, Egypt, for part of his childhood, and in Indiana most of his life.

This event is sponsored by UE’s Office of Diversity Initiatives and Department of Religious Life, and hosted by the UE Muslim Students' Association.

For more information on the event, please email: ke94@evansville.edu

April 25th is Dirt Day at John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, KY. We are looking for volunteers to help out with trail work and the beautification of our gardens! Volunteers can meet at the museum by 8:30 am and will work until Noon, at which time, we will serve lunch! No tools or experience is necessary but we do expect volunteers to be properly clothed--closed toed shoes and clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty! Registration is appreciated, but not required. Please contact ml170@evansville.edu for any further information or to register for this event. See you out at the park! 

What is Philanthropy Week? Philanthropy Week is a week long campaign with events and activities to enhance awareness and engagement of students at UE about the importance of institutional advancement around campus.

Key events Include:

Monday, April 13: Awareness Day: 
“Fact Snacks” distributed.

Clifford Circle Celebration, part of Philanthropy Week 2015 from 2:00-5:00 pm, Clifford Circle (on the oval) All UE students, faculty, and staff are invited to join us in the Clifford Circle to celebrate those who have given UE at least 1 million dollars! We’ll be giving out free Donut Bank donuts, Philanthropy Week t-shirts, and Clifford Circle coasters!

Tuesday, April 14: Good Deeds Day
Celebrate Campus and Community Philanthropy with Good Deeds Day and donate a non-perishable food item to the United Way Food Drive at the philanthropy week table.

Wednesday, April 15: Appreciation Day
Opportunity to tell a donor thank you for supporting student scholarships

Thursday, April 16: Participation Day
Photo Booth Contest- stop by and take a UE Fight Song Selfie. Submit the selfie through social media using #UEPepandVim and the Philanthropy Week committee will review submissions; winner receives a limited edition prize. T-shirt giveaway to the first 25 students to stop by and participate. Student-to-Student (S2S) is about choosing to help classmates with your gift, which directly benefits other students by making it easier for them to earn their degree. When you give $5 or more dollars for four years you become part of the S2S Loyalty Society and receive a cord to be worn on your graduation gown to show your UE pride.

The goal is to foster and enhance student involvement in all areas of advancement- including fundraising, alumni relations, and communications. It is important that students start taking steps to become the next group of philanthropic leaders and Philanthropy Week educates the students about the value they can bring to UE by giving their time, talent and treasure as students but also once they enter the alumni world.

What is the UE Fight Song Selfie Challenge? Looks like @TomKazee1 has been busy perfecting his selfie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqnsXTsNgDw&feature=youtu.be #UEPepandVim #DoGood4UE Philanthropy Week starts next week.

What is “Pep and Vim” Day? Pep and Vim! Is a single day designed to celebrate UE’s great traditions of philanthropy and school spirit. UE has chosen this signature line from the University’s fight song as the theme for our annual day of giving. This new event will replace UEGive12. Pep and Vim will serve as the conclusion of the Fight Song Selfie Challenge. 

The UE Bookstore will have men's basketball CIT Championship tee shirts in the store. The shipment is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, April 15 and would be available later in the day. The shirt sells for $17.95 for Small through XL sizes. Larger sizes will be slightly more. 

The Fitness Center is implementing an experimental bike check-out system, which will run from April 13 to April 28. Students, faculty and staff will be able to check out bikes Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30 AM to 4 PM. The bikes must be returned 30 minutes prior to closing. Bikes are available on a first come, first served basis. To check out a bike, come to the front desk of the Fitness Center and provide your UE ID. When you check out a bike, you will be given a helmet and a lock. Once your waiver has been signed, you will be free to enjoy your bike ride! If the bike is not returned 30 minutes prior to closing time you will be accessed a $5 late fee. 

May graduates are reminded that if you still need a cap/gown and/or graduation announcement you should stop by the UE Bookstore very soon. The big day will be here soon and you need to be ready. We'll also have some graduation gifts ideas as well. 

Changed date: If you are a Warrick County resident, you can bring your household hazardous waste and obsolete electronics to ALCOA Warrick Operations on MAY 9 (NOT Apr.11) from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Proper disposal of hazardous waste and used oil keeps hazardous substances out of local streams and rivers.

For more information, check out the UE Environmental Management Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/University-of-Evansville-Department-of-Environmental-Management/336316706575810?fref=ts

Apply to be an I-House Coordinator for the 2015-2016 academic year. International House (I-House) is a program that offers weekly country presentations to the University of Evansville campus community. The I-House Coordinator is an 8-month paid position that includes but is not limited to recruiting I-House presenters, coordinating publicity, and organizing the details of all I-House presentations. Applications are due this Friday, April 10. Pick up at the Cultural Engagement office (2nd Floor of Ridgway University Center) or here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1krZA0y1IynP7i2QwLZ6fNqYXT0SNqjy4nkdoCWLkA8M/edit

The Resident Students Association's mission is to improve the quality of the residential experience. RSA provides residential students a home away from home and serve them to the best of our abilities. Vote for your RSA Executive Board for the academic year of 2015-2016. Go to ace-link to know the candidates and to cast your votes. 

The Department of Archaeology & Art History is pleased to announce the Shirley J. Schwarz Prize for research in Art History, the Browning-Miller Advancement of Archaeology Award, and the Art History Internship Award. Applications have been posted on the department website; the deadline for all applications is April 22.  The recipients of the awards will be announced by May 1. 

Please see the department web site for more information and applications: http://www.evansville.edu/majors/archaeology/
 

Nominations are now being accepted for the Howard S. Rosenblatt Dean of Students Leadership Awards.  Awards are given for the Organization of the Year, the Student Organization Advisor of the Year, and the Student Leader of the Year.  These awards will be presented during the Annual Leadership Awards Program, Thursday, April 23. 

Please complete your nominations using this application form and return your nominations to the Dean of Students Office by April 15. 

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Martin at 812-488-2500 or km306@evansville.edu. 

The Global Scholars Program is designed to offer support for faculty engaged in scholarship or curriculum development that helps prepare our students and community (public, private and civic sector partners) for global leadership, citizenry, and success. It is expected that the Global Scholars’ activities will have a positive impact on the global mindset of some of our constituencies, including students, faculty, and the greater Evansville community. The Global Scholars Program is supported and administered by the Institute for Global Enterprise and is made possible in part by the John H. Schroeder Global Scholar Endowed Fund.

Current funding will support two awards per year. Awards include a stipend of $2,000 and a professional development budget of up to $3,000. Appropriate uses of funding include airfare, accommodations, ground transportation, research materials, and conference fees.

The deadline for full consideration is April 30. Click here for more details.

The Office of Publications has distributed letterhead and envelope ordering information. If your department uses letterhead or envelopes during the fiscal year, this is the time to order it. We are able to get a substantial price break on boxes of envelopes (500 quantity) and reams of letterhead (500 quantity) due to the size of the order. Smaller orders placed later in the year will be more expensive.

If you did not receive the ordering information from the Office of Publications, please e-mail publications@evansville.edu or call 2561.

Orders are due April 14.
 

Faculty are reminded that textbook adoptions for the Summer and Fall 2015 terms are now due in the UE Bookstore. Please submit your adoptions as soon as possible. Contact the Bookstore if any questions. 

Psychology majors Emily Denne, Evan McCracken, Tyler Plogher, and Taylor Wornica, and Associate Professor Margaret Stevenson recently attended several professional psychology conferences where they presented a total of 3 talks and 6 poster research presentations.

At the inaugural International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS) in Amsterdam in March, Evan McCracken and Tyler Plogher presented two posters, co-authored with Margaret Stevenson, entitled “Social Dominance Orientation Explains Political Conservatives’ Tendency to Blame Rape Victims” And “Religious Individuals Blame Rape Victims but Punish Rape Perpetrators.”

At the annual Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Conference in Long Beach, California in February, Tyler Plogher and Evan McCracken presented a poster, co-authored with Margaret Stevenson entitled, “Date Rape: How Victim Depression Status Affects Perceptions of Rape Avoidability.”

At the annual American Psychology and Law Society (AP-LS) Conference in San Diego, California in March, Margaret Stevenson chaired a symposium titled “Emotion in Law: Disgust as a Predictor and Mediator of Legal Judgments” and presented a talk within the symposium titled “Disgust Sensitivity Predicts Punitive Treatment of Juvenile Sex Offenders: The Role of Empathy, Dehumanization, and Fear.”

Evan McCracken also presented a talk within this symposium session, stemming from his senior thesis research, titled “Disgust Toward Male Rape Perpetrators Drives Moral Outrage and Guilty Verdicts.”

Tyler Plogher also presented a talk at AP-LS stemming from his senior thesis research, titled, “Stigmatizing Consequences of Loving a Registered Sex Offender.”

Emily Denne and Taylor Wornica presented a poster at AP-LS, co-authored with Margaret Stevenson, titled, “Think Before You Ink: Biases Against Tattooed Mothers Affect Child Custodial Decisions.”

Taylor Wornica was honored at the Minority Affairs Banquet for winning a competitive APPLE grant for research (Access Path to Psychology and Law Experience) through Division 41 of the American Psychological Association. Students Evan McCracken and Tyler Plogher were also honored at this banquet for winning competitive Division 41 student travel grants and for being past APPLE awardees.

Finally, both Emily Denne and Taylor Wornica will be presenting a poster presentation at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Conference in New York this May.

These research projects were funded by multiple UE undergraduate research grants, an ARSAF grant, and grants through the American Psychology and Law Society. Travel for the students was funded in part by the SGA and by competitive grants from Division 41 of the American Psychology and Law Society.
 

Associate professor of archaeology Jennie Ebeling has been awarded the Annual Professorship at the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem for Fall 2015. Ebeling was awarded this fellowship to work on analysis and publication of the Jezreel Expedition. During this four-and-a-half month sabbatical in Jerusalem, she will analyze ground stone artifacts from the 2013-15 seasons at Jezreel, complete preliminary reports of the first three excavation seasons with co-director Norma Franklin, and conduct small survey and excavation projects at the site with members of the Jezreel Expedition.

The Jezreel Expedition is sponsored by UE and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa. It is supported by consortium partners: Chapman University, Moravian Theological Seminary, University of Arizona, Vanderbilt University, Villanova University and Wesley Theological Seminary. The Jezreel Expedition is an American Schools of Oriental Research CAP-Affiliated field project and its field school is the first in Israel to be certified by the Register of Professional Archaeologists.

The expedition team is intent on revealing the history of settlement of “greater Jezreel” from late prehistory through the 20th century. It has unearthed evidence for a settlement over 4,000 years old from the Early Bronze Age, a Middle Bronze Age burial cave with Egyptian-style scarab seals and bronze jewelry, a large Iron Age (biblical period) winery, and more.

“This is perfect timing for a sabbatical,” said Ebeling, “because it is the midway point in our planned six-season project. I look forward to working more closely with Dr. Franklin and other members of the Jezreel team during my semester in Jerusalem and participating in educational and social activities at the Albright Institute.”

Ebeling earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Religion from Rutgers University, and her MA and PhD in Near Eastern Archaeology from the University of Arizona. A former Fulbright scholar, Ebeling has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Lady Davis Fellowship Trust to conduct research in ancient technology, food and drink in antiquity, and women in Canaan and ancient Israel. She has co-edited books such as New Approaches to Old Stones: Recent Studies of Ground Stone Artifacts and Household Archaeology in Ancient Israel and Beyond, and is the author of Women’s Lives in Biblical Times.

In 2011, Ebeling received the Dean’s Teaching Award from UE’s College of Arts and Sciences, and was awarded the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the UE Alumni Association in 2014. She currently chairs the Department of Archaeology and Art History at UE.
 

Ashley Rich, Biology '13 has won a Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award from the National Science Foundation. There were more than 16,000 applications for the 2015 competition; Ashley received one of the 2,000 awards.

The GRFP award recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.
 

Professor of Psychology Mark Kopta, founder and executive director of the CelestHealth Research Group, is coauthor, along with six other coauthors, of a paper to be published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. The paper, entitled “Trajectories of Change in Short-Term Psychotherapy” describes a major study of psychotherapy outcomes, using a sample that included 10,854 patients and 513 psychologists, counselors, psychiatrists, and social workers.  

Biology students Allie Arguello and Mackenzie Powell presented their cardio-renal physiology research at the Experimental Biology Conference in Boston, MA. Experimental Biology is an annual meeting comprised of over 14,000 scientists and exhibitors representing six sponsoring societies and multiple guest societies. Allie Arguello presented her research from the lab of UE alum Dr. Jennifer Pollock titled "Dynamin-2 is a negative regulator of NOS1β in the collecting duct." Mackenzie Powell presented her research from the lab of UE alum Dr. David Pollock titled "Evidence for ETB receptor mediated pressor effects mediated by alpha-adrenergic receptors." Mackenzie was also a recipient of the David S. Bruce Outstanding Undergraduate Abstract Award

A stellar field awaits the University of Evansville men’s golf team as it will take part in the NYX Hoosier Invitational on Saturday and Sunday in Bloomington, Ind.

Three rounds of play comprise the event with an 8:30 a.m. ET start on Saturday with two continuous rounds before one round on Sunday with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.

Seventeen schools are set to participate including: Indiana, Wisconsin, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH), Toledo, Xavier, Cincinnati, Illinois State, Youngstown State, Drake, Oakland, Dayton, Bradley, IUPUI, Evansville, Western Illinois and IPFW.

The IU Golf Course will play host to the tournament. Par will be 71 and the yardage is set at 6,813.

Evansville is coming off of a fourth place outing last weekend at Bradley. Making the biggest leap was Will Knights. Ranking second for the Purple Aces following the opening day, Knights posted a 71 on his way to a tie for fifth place. His score of 221 was just four away from second place.

Alex Turner also finished a strong tournament. He tied for 14th with a 226. He registered a 77 in the final round of play. Matching Knights' low round of the day was Wil Pahud. He made a jump into a tie for 20th as he carded a 71 on Saturday to finish with a 229.

Tyler Gray improved each round of the event. His rounds on Friday came in at 78 and 77 before he posted a 76 on Saturday to place 27th with a 231. Tying for 31st was Rick Voyvodic. His 3-round total was a 236. Individual Brett Wolvert led all of the individuals in the finishing order, tying for 23rd. His low round of the event came in the final round – a 73 – as he finished with a 230.

Fresh off of a CollegeInsider.com Tournament Championship, University of Evansville men’s basketball coach Marty Simmons has announced the addition of Doug Novsek and Lennox Forrester as assistant coaches with the Purple Aces.

“We are very excited to add Doug and Lennox to our staff, they both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program,” Simmons said. “Both have also worked extensively in the MVC, that experience, coupled with everything else they have done, will be priceless for Evansville Basketball.”

Novsek makes his way to Evansville after spending the last nine seasons on the staff at the University of Nevada. Since 2009, Novsek has served as the Associate Head Coach of the Wolfpack. His expertise helped Nevada win three Western Athletic Conference regular-season championships while making five postseason appearances. Nevada advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 while making the NIT in 2010 and 2012. In 2008 and 2009, his squads played in the CBI.

In his time with the Wolfpack, Novsek coached six players who went on to play in the NBA. That included a pair of first-round picks in JaVale McGee and Luke Babbitt. McGee was the 18th pick in the 2009 draft by the Washington Wizards while Babbitt was the 16th choice in the 2011 draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Nick Fazekas was taken 34th by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2008 NBA Draft. He was one of three second-round picks coached by Novsek. Ramon Sessions was a second-round pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007 while Armon Johnson went to the Portland Trail Blazers with the 34th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Deonte Burton was a free agent signee by the Sacramento Kings.

Before heading to Reno, Novsek spent four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska. Aside from his experience at Nevada and Nebraska, he also has a Missouri Valley Conference background. Novsek was an assistant coach at Illinois State from 1999 through 2002, helping the Redbirds to the NIT in 2001. Between 1989 and 1994, Novsek was on the staff at Indiana State. He was also a player at Southern Illinois from 1983 through 1987.

Evansville graduate Lennox Forrester makes his return to the program after serving as the head coach at SIU Edwardsville for the last eight seasons. He did an admirable job of overseeing the Cougars transition from Division II to a full DI member of the Ohio Valley Conference. Forrester led the SIUE to its first OVC Tournament appearance in 2014 while winning seven league games, both records in SIUE’s Division I tenure.

From the start of the 2010-11 season through the end of 2013-14, Forrester oversaw his program improve its home win total in each season, laying the foundation for its DI transition. In the Cougar’s first season in the OVC, Forrester’s SIUE team defeated Murray State.

The 2008-09 season marked the program’s first season participating in Division I as he led the squad to 10 victories. In 2009, he helped the Cougars to the championship of the Drake Hy-Vee Classic in Des Moines. His SIUE squad picked up impressive victories over Drake and Texas-Arlington on their way to the win.

Forrester also brings a wealth of MVC experience to the UE staff. Before being introduced as the SIUE head coach in April of 2007, Forrester spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Bradley. He was a pivotal part of a Braves team that advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

A 1992 graduate of the University of Evansville, Forrester was on the Jim Crews UE staff from 1992 through 2002.

“In Jimmy Elgas and Carson Harris, we lost two coaches who have been pivotal to the success of our program. Being able to add Doug and Lennox is such a fortunate opportunity for us,” Simmons added. “I am excited to get both in town and working for our program.”
 

Eight members of the University of Evansville women’s swimming and diving team were named to the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete Team.

Scholar-Athlete honors require athletes to have completed at least one year and maintain either a 3.2 grade-point average and obtain all-conference honors, achieve a 3.5 grade-point average and finish top-16 in an individual event at the conference championships, or maintain a 3.8 grade-point average and participate in the MVC championship.

The Missouri Valley Conference had an outstanding number of student-athletes on the scholar-athlete team this season for swimming and diving, topping out at 59. In the 2014-15 season, 16 of these scholar-athletes had an impressive GPA at or above a 3.8 and 6 of those had a 4.0 GPA. For the 2014-15 season, Illinois State holds the most spots on the scholar-athlete team with 14 student-athletes on the team and a remarkable 4 student-athletes holding a 4.0 GPA.

Evansville’s eight representatives included:
Abby Smith Evansville 3.94 Chemistry
Abby Yenzer Evansville 3.89 Physical Therapy
Michelle Tipton Evansville 3.68 Physical Therapy
Mackenzie Harris
Samantha Montgomery Evansville
Evansville 3.70
3.61 Nursing
Environmental Administration
Maja Magnusson Evansville 3.59 Global Business
Mackenzie Powell Evansville 3.56 Biology
Charlotte Lechner Evansville 3.53 Exercise Science/Physical Therapy
 

The University of Evansville baseball team (16-12) continues a five game homestand with a weekend series against #20 Missouri State (D1Baseball.com). The contest on Friday, April 10 is set for 6:00 p.m. CDT. The game on Saturday, April 11 will begin at 2:00 p.m. and the finale on Sunday, April 12 will start at 1:00 p.m. All games will be played at Braun Stadium in Evansville, Ind. Adult tickets are $7 each as seniors/youth tickets are $5.