Over 654 people have registered for Family Weekend 2016! Please welcome all UE families and friends this weekend. Much thanks to all departments and student organizations who are participating with the events. If there are any questions, contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at 812-488-2586.

The Office of Safety and Security will be conducting a test of the AceAlerts Emergency Notification System. The test alert will be sent out at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 28. If you do not receive this test message by a text message, e-mail, University telephone, University computer, University television system, UE Twitter account, UE Facebook account, or speakers in the residence halls, please call the Office of Safety and Security at ext. 2051 or 812-488-2051 to report it.

The Newman Club will be having a Rosary group this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in Room 209 in the library. Nicolette Fonseca and Nathan Kabat will be leading the group in prayer. Students and faculty are welcome. For more questions, contact Nicolette or Nathan at nf39@evansville.edu or nk78@evansville.edu. We hope to see you there! 

The Department of Theatre kicks off the 2016–17 season with Philip Dawkins' Failure: A Love Story.

From one of Chicago’s most-intriguing theatrical voices, this fanciful and charming play introduces us to the Fail sisters, all of whom will be dead within a year. This vibrant comedy finds these three quirky women unwittingly living out their final days in their family’s bustling 1920s Chicago clock shop–and falling in love with the same suave and dashing man. Audiences will certainly be charmed by this musical fable and yearn to truly understand and harness the power of love.

The show runs September 23, 24, 29, and 30, and October 1 at 7:30 p.m., and September 25 and October 2 at 2:00 p.m. in Shanklin Theatre.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for senior adults, non-UE students, and UE faculty and staff. UE students are entitled to one free ticket on the day of the performance they wish to attend.

Tickets can be reserved by stopping by or calling the ticket office at 812-488-2031 between noon-5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday or from noon-1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Attention all students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science - RSVP in JobLink by October 3 to attend Engineering Speed Networking. The event will be held Wednesday, October 5, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center. Get face-to-face with employers interested in you. Space is limited, so RSVP today under JobLink’s Events tab (Workshops). 

The next Lunch and Lead is set for today at noon in Eykamp Hall, Room 252, in Ridgway University Center. Associate professor of psychology Lora Becker will be making a presentation titled “People Smart.” She will be discussing how to speak about emotional intelligence and how to better interact with others.

This event is free and open to all students, faculty, staff, and UE community members. We encourage attendees to bring their lunch with them to these events!
 

Come to Chipotle on Green River Road in Evansville today from 5:00- 9:00 p.m. to show your support for refugee children in Syria and Jordan and to have a great time! Present the flyer, digital image, or mention it to the cashier at the time of purchase and 50 percent of your payment will go directly to support Road to Mafraq.

Road to Mafraq is a nonprofit organization which works to increase access to education for children affected by conflict in the Middle East. All proceeds from this event will go towards Road to Mafraq's endeavors to educate children in Jordan. Science Alliance for Syria has organized this fundraiser for Road to Mafraq.

Science Alliance for Syria is the joint project of science clubs at the University of Evansville including Society of Physics Students, Biological Sciences Club, Environmental Concerns Organization, and Chemistry Club.

Join the members of Venturing Crew for fall break in Missouri. They will kick off the trip with a visit to the City Museum in St. Louis - which is an adult playground. They will spend the majority of Fall Break canoeing the Current and Jack’s Fork Rivers, camping, and hiking. After a trip full of outdoor cooking and activities, they will swing by Lambert’s Café (“Home of Throwed Rolls”) on the way back to campus.

Venturing Crew officers will be available at Ridgway University Center tables from September 27-29 during lunch and dinner. The cost of the trip is $130, and you must be a Venturing Crew member to attend. The deadline for payment is September 30.

If you would like more information, visit the Ridgway University Center tables or e-mail venturing@evansville.edu.

They hope you will join them for a wonderful fall break!

The Department of Music will present its annual Family Weekend Concert in Neu Chapel this Saturday afternoon, September 24, at 2:00 p.m. The program will include performances by the University Choir, the University Symphony Orchestra, the University String Ensemble, and the University Wind Ensemble. The Wind Ensemble will conclude the concert with a performance of Rio Grande, a work by the American composer Michael Daugherty, who will be in attendance. The concert is free and open to the public.

The Jazz Guest Artist Series kicks off its season in Wheeler Concert Hall this Sunday, September 25, at 4:00 p.m. with a performance by saxophonist Monte Skelton. Monte has established a reputation as a skillful jazz performer in a variety of settings, including leading his own funk band, Skelton’s Montourage. He was recently named the Evansville area’s Jazz Musician of the Year, and he won an honorable mention award as a soloist at the Elmhurst Jazz Festival in Chicago in 2010. In addition to his outstanding skills as a saxophone performer, Monte is a multi-instrumentalist, specializing in the EWI, or electronic wind instrument. For his UE performance, Monte will be accompanied by a rhythm section comprising some of the most outstanding jazz performers in the region, including Tom Drury, piano; Michael Gray, bass; and Pat Moore, drums.
 

A Graduate School Fair is planned for Wednesday, September 28, 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the Class of 1959 Gallery and Lounge on the second floor of Ridgway University Center.

Schools registered for the fair are:

• Atlantic University School of Medicine
• Campbellsville University
• Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
• Indiana Institute of Technology
• Indiana Tech Law School
• Indiana University - Bloomington Kelley School of Business,
• Graduate Accounting and Information Systems Program
• Indiana University School of Medicine
• Indiana University School of Social Work
• Indiana University - Purdue University Columbus,
• MBA program and MA in Mental Health Counseling
• IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
• IUPUI School of Public and Environmental Affairs
• Kelley School of Business Indianapolis
• Methodist Theological School in Ohio
• Purdue University Graduate School
• University of Evansville School of Public Health
• University of Indianapolis MBA Program
• University of Southern Indiana
• Valparaiso University Law School
• Vanderbilt Divinity School

All are welcome to join us for Mass this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. in Neu Chapel. Fr. Raab will be our celebrant. Hope to see you there! For more information contact Olivia Voegerl at ov4@evansville.edu.

The Evansville, Indiana-produced documentary film From the Ashes: The University of Evansville Purple Aces will make its public premiere at next month’s Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis.

The film, which tells the story of the 1977 UE Men’s Basketball team and the tragic plane crash that killed 29 people (including all 14 players), will debut at 5:30 p.m. EST. on Thursday, October 27. A second showing will follow on Saturday, October 29 at 10:15 a.m. EST.

“We’re extremely proud and excited to premiere From the Ashes at this year’s Heartland Film Festival,” said Joe Atkinson, the film’s producer and director. “Many of the families and friends of those killed on December 13, 1977, shared the stories of their loved ones with us in the hope of keeping their memories alive through the film’s audience. Heartland has a reputation as a great festival with a terrific audience, and we’re looking forward to debuting the film for them.”

From the Ashes primarily tells the team’s story through firsthand accounts. In producing the film, Atkinson conducted more than 75 interviews, including retired UE officials, family members of the victims, and first responders to the site of the tragic accident.

Their stories, alongside narration from Rusty James, tell a story that begins with the University's decision in January 1977 to move its basketball program to Division I, and ends in the aftermath of one of sports' greatest tragedies.

For more information about the Heartland Film Festival, or to purchase tickets to one of the screenings, visit the Heartland Film Festival’s website.

For more information about From the Ashes, contact Joe Atkinson at 812-893-1642 or joe.w.atkinson@gmail.com.

View the trailer for From the Ashes: The University of Evansville Purple Aces online here.

Photography sessions are available for all faculty and staff who would like to have their head shot taken so that it may be added to their department webpage. Sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, from 10:00-11:30 a.m., Friday, September 30, from 10:00-11:30 a.m., and Wednesday, October 12, from noon-1:00 p.m. Each session will last approximately 10 minutes. Contact Kim McDonald at km117@evansville.edu or ext. 2683 to schedule.

The TIAA-CREF representative will be on the UE campus for individual counseling sessions on October 19 and 20, November 15, and December 7 and 8.

To schedule an appointment, call TIAA-CREF at 1-800-732-8353 or 317-706-6200.

Please note that the meeting location has been changed to room 208 of the University Libraries.
 

A Visa gift card was found in Graves Hall late last week. If you can prove that it is yours, contact Jeannette Oakley in the Tapley Center, located in Room 243 in Graves Hall, or e-mail at jo29@evansville.edu. 

The Resident Students Association and Sodexo are looking for a student input team. Selected students can earn up to $30 in AceBucks each month.

The Food Advisory Board (FAB) program gives students the opportunity to act as a liaison between the students, the University of Evansville, and Sodexo. The FAB at University of Evansville was created as a breakout group of the Resident Students Association (RSA) to represent the voices of the students, while also assisting with shaping Sodexo’s culinary programs and offerings. Not only do they help shape promotions, they continuously provide insight from students to Sodexo.

If you are interested in applying to be part of the Food Advisory Board, fill out this application and return it to Brian Conner in the Office of Residence Life by September 30. All students can apply, but it is helpful if you have a meal plan and/or dine regularly on campus.

The Office of Education Abroad is reworking its entire process to make studying abroad much simpler for students.

If you’ve previously passed up the opportunity to study abroad because you thought it was too complicated, feel free to stop by to see how things have changed. Or, if you’ve ever been interested in study abroad but haven’t started the process yet, swing by the office to get more information and ask any questions you might have. They will show you how much simpler it is now to go abroad, and will work with you step-by-step to make it happen.

They will also be set up in Ridgway University Center this Friday from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. to answer your questions.

Don’t hesitate to come see them!

The UE Bookstore will have extended hours during Family Weekend and also will be offering 15 percent off the regular price on all clothing and gift purchases.

Hours for the store and sale are:

• Friday, September 23 from 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 24 from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
• Sunday, September 25 from noon -2:00 p.m.

Stop in for some great savings.

Earn HRA credit by participating in the Fall Healthy Behavior Challenge. Challenge from September 26- November 20. E-mail Ashley Chipps, wellness coordinator, at ac375@evansville.edu to sign up or for more information.

Those who successfully complete the challenge will earn $150 in HRA credit. The minimum requirement is 150 minutes of exercise weekly or 1200 points at the end of week eight.

Participants record the total number of minutes they exercise daily. They can earn five bonus points for trying a new activity. The weekly exercise logs are then turned in to the wellness coordinator by e-mail or by dropping them into the collection box in the Medical Clinic. 

The University of Evansville College of Engineering and Computer Science has announced dates for the annual review and preparation course for those planning to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam.

Classes will be Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Koch Center for Engineering and Science. Classes are divided into relevance per discipline.  Fees are adjusted accordingly.

• Civil engineering candidates will attend from October 6-February 2. 
• Candidates in mechanical engineering and other disciplines candidates will attend from October 6-December 1. 
• Electrical and computer engineering candidates will attend November 3-December 1.

Registration forms and payment must be returned by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 4.

On campus registrations should be returned to Room 250 in the Koch Center for Engineering and Science.

Community members may obtain registration information by contacting Kimberly Higgins via e-mail at kh209@evansville.edu or phone at 812-488-2651.

Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. 
 

The September Pcard cycle which began on August 23, ended on September 21. As of September 23, cardholders may schedule and run the September cycle report. September transactions may be reconciled in SDG2 until September 28. On September 28, the general ledger Pcard file will be uploaded and cardholders will be locked out and unable to make changes to posted transactions for the September cycle.

Assistant professor Lisa Kretz has accepted a three-year position on the editorial board for the journal Teaching Ethics.

Teaching Ethics is dedicated to ethical issues across the curriculum with particular attention to pedagogical methodology and practice in both academic inquiry and professional practice. The journal’s editorial focus is on ethics as a dimension of all academic inquiry rather than as an isolated philosophical discipline. Its primary mission is to provide a peer-reviewed forum for academic dialogue in ethics instruction across disciplines such as business, medicine, trades, technology, law, and other areas of liberal education.
 

David J. Unger, professor of mechanical and civil engineering, has published an article titled "Path-dependent J-integral evaluations around an elliptical hole for large deformation theory in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Materials," vol. 25, 77-81 (2016).

Assistant professor of mathematics Pengcheng Xiao has coauthored an article that has just been published in the journal Cognitive Neurodynamics. The article is titled "Dynamics of in-phase and anti-phase bursting in the coupled pre-Bötzinger complex cells". Contact the author for a copy at px3@evansville.edu or go here to read it.

David Green, senior lecturer in British Studies at Harlaxton College, has joined the editorial board of Fourteenth Century England, a biennial journal published by Boydell and Brewer. The board also sponsors a number of sessions at the annual meeting of the International Medieval Congress held at the University of Leeds in the UK.

Missouri Valley Conference play begins for the Purple Aces, who host Drake and UNI on Saturday and Sunday before making the trek out to Wichita State for a Monday evening match. All three contests will be carried live on The Valley on ESPN3 and will each begin at 7:00 p.m.

A trip to the Gamecock Invitational completed non-conference action last weekend as the Purple Aces (4-9) had their best weekend of the season. Following a 3-0 loss to Kennesaw State, UE picked up a 3-2 victory over UL Monroe to wrap up the opening day. On Saturday, the Aces fell in a hard-fought match against Jacksonville State before finishing the tournament with a solid 3-1 win over Nicholls State.

Junior Cathy Schreiber had her best weekend since returning from injury as she was named to the Gamecock Invitational All-Tournament Team. Schreiber notched 28 kills in four matches over the weekend, an average of 1.65 per set. She hit a team-high .328 while posting four solo blocks and five block assists. In a 3-2 win over UL Monroe on Friday, Schreiber hit .438 with 8 kills in an exciting victory. The top effort of her comeback in 2016 came versus Jacksonville State as she notched 11 kills and had three block assists. She hit .308 in the match. Schreiber wrapped up the weekend with eight more kills and two solo blocks against Nicholls State.

Freshman Rachel Tam has gotten better each and every week and that culminated in a total of 44 kills, 60 digs and five blocks at the Gamecock Invitational. She started the week with six kills and 14 digs versus Kennesaw State before setting her career mark with a game-high 18 kills and 15 digs in a 3-2 win over UL Monroe. Tam added 11 kills and a career-best 19 digs against Jacksonville State before completing the weekend with nine kills and 12 digs in a 3-1 win over Nicholls State.

Drake enters MVC action with a 9-5 record, but have fallen in three of their last four matches. The Bulldogs lost to Weber State by a 3-1 final last time out at the Western Illinois Tournament. The top defensive team in the Valley has allowed opponents to hit just .161. Grace Schofield and Kameo Pope rank second and third in the MVC in service aces.

Currently standing at 9-5 overall and 0-1 in the MVC, the Panthers opened league play on September 16 with a 3-2 home loss to Illinois State in their home tournament. Since then, the Panthers have swept their last three opponents - Northwestern, Syracuse and North Dakota State. Heather Hook leads the way in the conference with 11.17 assists per set while Kayla Haneline is fourth in the conference, averaging 3.40 kills per set.

On Monday, the Aces travel out to Wichita State, who enter conference play with a 9-4 mark. They open MVC action on Friday at Missouri State. The Shockers are winners of three of their last four matches, including a 3-0 victory over Texas Tech last weekend in San Antonio. WSU features one of the top hitters in the league as junior Abbie Lehman is second in the MVC, hitting .420.