Adjunct Organ Instructor Helen Skuggedal Reed will give an organ concert on Tuesday, January 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Wheeler Concert Hall. The program includes music by J. S. Bach, Louis Couperin, Mendelssohn, and others. Of special note is the local premiere of selections from Douze Courtes Pièces (Op. 43, 2008) by French-Canadian composer and organist Rachel Laurin.

Ms. Reed joined the UE music faculty in January 2015. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she also serves as organist at Eastminster Presbyterian Church and as principal harpsichordist for the Evansville Philharmonic.
 

Start off the spring semester being organized with less stress and better grades. Attend a Time Management and Study Skills Workshop held in the Writing Center, Room 153, Clifford Library.

Dates and Times:
Wednesday, January 13, at 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 14, at 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 19, at 6:00 p.m. 

The TIAA-CREF representative will be on the UE campus for 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).  

Sessions are planned for January 12, February 24 and 25, March 22, April 20 and 21, May 24, June 22 and 23, July 19, August 24 and 25, September 20, October 19 and 20, November 15 and December 7 and 8.

We are looking for outgoing, energetic students interested in becoming Orientation Leaders! If you love meeting new people and are passionate about UE, pick up an application packet January 12-25, during business hours in the Office of the Dean of Students, Ridgway University Center. Completed applications will be due back to the same office by 4:00 p.m. on January 25. Questions can be referred to Karen Martin at km306@evansville.edu or 812-488-2500.

UE internal applications are due January 18 for students who are interested in study abroad Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 through a University approved external provider program (i.e. a program other than Harlaxton). To schedule an appointment with Education Abroad, contact bp66@evansville.edu.

UE Libraries has upgraded its online reservation system for group study room reservations. To make a reservation:

• Go to http://uelibrary.bookedscheduler.com.
• Create an account using your UE e-mail*, and
• Make a reservation.

Each student may only reserve a study room for 2 hours per day.

* Accounts created with non UE e-mails will be deleted and all reservations cancelled.

Questions? Please ask at the Information Desk or e-mail Meg Atwater-Singer at ma35@evansville.edu. 

The Office of Education Abroad is still accepting applications for the Cuban Culture and Politics short-term study abroad program.

This experience combines a Spring 2016 semester course (1 credit) with travel to Cuba in May. This course satisfies Overlay Component C: Social Responsibility: Civic Engagement.

Students must apply and pay a nonrefundable deposit by Friday, January 15, to be considered.

For more information or to submit an online application, please visit: https://www.evansville.edu/studyabroad/shortTerm.cfm or contact Marissa Mitchell at mm353@evansville.edu
 

Do you have a club you want people to know about? Do you have an event you want others to attend? How about showing off your class work? If you said YES, then the Library has a display case for you! Contact Julie Wilson at jw223@evansville.edu or (812) 488-1062 for more information or to make a reservation. 

The Office of Accounting/Payroll will be issuing W-2s for 2015 no later than January 31, 2016. We are pleased to announce that you can choose one of two options to receive your W-2:
• Electronic W-2 – If you provide your consent, you will receive an e-mail notification via AceNotes Extra that your W-2 is ready to view/print on WebAdvisor.
• Paper W-2 – If you prefer, you can continue to receive a paper W-2 in the mail, as you have in the past.

Among the advantages of electronic W-2s: (1) you will have access to your W-2 a couple days earlier than a paper copy that is mailed to your home, and (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.

To take advantage of the electronic W-2 option, you must log onto WebAdvisor and select the option “Employee Self Service”. Click the option “W-2 Information”. Click the “Change Preferences” button and then click the first radio button to give your consent. Then click “Save”. You will not receive a paper W-2 in the mail if you select the electronic W-2 option.

New this year, employees that are eligible to participate in the University’s health plans will receive a 1095-C form. This form will be used to complete questions regarding health insurance offers and coverage on your 2015 tax return. Like the W-2 consent, the 1095-C form will need a consent as well. This is done by clicking on the “1095-C Information” tab (on the same screen as the W-2 Information option) and giving your consent.

If you choose to withhold your consent to view/print your online W-2 and 1095-C, a paper copy will be prepared and mailed to you at your home address.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159.
 

Applications for Harlaxton Summer 2016 are due January 15!

These applications are online at https://www.evansville.edu/studyabroad/harlaxton.cfm.

Please come by Room 263 in the Schroeder School of Business Building with any questions. 

A paper by Atefeh Yazdanparast, assistant professor of marketing, and Yasser Alhenawi, assistant professor of finance, has been accepted for presentation at the Academic of Business Research Spring Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in March.

The paper is titled: “The Impacts of Materialism and the Need-for-Arousal Traits on Households’ Borrowing Behavior.”

In this paper the authors empirically test if the psychological characteristics of decision makers affects household borrowing decisions. The findings indicate that the attitude toward borrowing and the intuition to borrow do not always match and, more interestingly, the discrepancies between the two vary across personalities. Further, the results strongly suggest that borrowing options are not homogenous and, thus, are motivated differently.

The authors also report strong evidence that personal attitudinal biases toward money, risk, financial planning, and borrowing as well as certain demographic characteristics influence households’ borrowing behavior. The findings have several significant implications for policy makers, social planners, and marketers of financial services.

A paper by Yasser Alhenawi, assistant professor of finance, has been accepted for presentation at the Academic of Business Research Spring Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in March.

The paper is titled: “Toward a Complete Definition of Relatedness in Merger and Acquisition Transactions”.

This paper investigates the interrelation between different sources of relatedness in corporate merger and acquisition transactions. It offers theoretical and empirical investigation of the issue and shows that single-dimensional measures of relatedness are complements, not substitutes, of each other, and their impacts on the market’s reaction to the deal announcement are additive and interdependent. In addition, the author presents strong evidence that the market’s perception of, and reaction to, the presence of relatedness in M&A deals is more sophisticated than the extant literature prescribes. The paper introduces new measures and new methodologies to the literature of mergers and acquisitions and urges researchers toward a more comprehensive definition of relatedness.

Ray Shelton, mechanical and civil engineering technician, has received the January 2016 IMPACT Employee of the Month award. Since joining UE in 2014, Ray has proven himself invaluable in keeping the lab courses running smoothly.  The Bowen Labs and Engineering Annex are kept very neat, clean, and organized for UE engineering students. 

Known for being dedicated to his position, Ray willingly gives his time to aid students in projects and enables a culture of performance and safety in all areas of the shop and laboratory space. Ray is always pleasant, has a smile on his face, and a kind word for everyone around him. He's a great role model and influence for our future engineers. Thank you, Ray, for all that you do!
 

Congratulations to Amanda Campbell, director of university relations and content delivery, and her husband Will on the birth of their son Liam James Campbell. Liam was born Thursday, January 7, at 7:15 p.m. He was 7 lbs., 5 oz., and 20 inches. 

Mari Plikuhn, assistant professor of sociology, and Matthew Knoester, assistant professor of education, published a book chapter entitled “A Foot in Two Worlds: First-Generation College Graduates, Academic Success, and Family Relationships” in the newly-released edited volume, “The Working Classes and Higher Education: Inequality of Access, Opportunity, and Outcome.” 

Dale Edwards, chair of the Department of Biology, recently traveled to Jyväskylä, Finland to serve as the Opponent for the public examination of a doctoral dissertation in the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Jyväskylä. The title of the dissertation was Connection between temperature, larval production, virulence and geographical distribution of Rhipidocotyle parasites infecting the duck mussel, Anodonta anatina. While at the University of Jyväskylä, Edwards presented a lecture titled Of Mites and Mollusks: The Ecology and Evolution of Water Mites Parasitizing Freshwater Mussels, and collaborated with Finnish biologists on parasites infecting freshwater bivalves of Finland. 

Harlaxton Advisory Board member John Coyne was honored for services to higher education with a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) at the 2016 New Year Honours. He received the honor for services to higher education.

To read an article about Coyne receiving this honor go to:
http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/31/new-years-honours-the-full-list-5593057/

On January 24, a pep rally will be held prior to the University of Evansville Men’s Basketball game at Indiana State as the Purple Aces go for the season sweep against the Sycamores. Open to the first 200 fans to register with the UE alumni office, the cost is $20 and includes a game ticket, pep rally buffet, and drinks (lemonade and tea). There will also be a cash bar. Just a three minute walk to the Hulman Center, the pregame event will be held at the Indiana Theater, which is located at 683 Ohio Street in Terre Haute. It will run from 1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. ET with a program starting at 2:45 p.m. The game against the Sycamores is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. ET. Fans can register at the link above by January 20. For more information, contact alumni@evansville.edu or call 812-488-2586.