The University will begin a modified summer schedule on Monday, May 7 through Friday, August 3. Business hours for the campus will be adjusted during this period to 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. As always, the area supervisor is responsible for the scheduling decisions that will best meet the University’s and their respective department’s service requirements. A return to regular business hours will begin on Monday, August 6.

The modified summer work schedule is incumbent on ensuring coverage to service our many constituencies. It is important to maintain our commitment and communication with students and their parents during the summer months. Your assistance in this regard is greatly appreciated.

The planned closing of Weinbach and Lincoln Avenue has been delayed and will now begin May 14. The intersection should reopen on May 21. The closure is part of the Weinbach Avenue water main project.

The UE Bookstore is offering 20% OFF all clothing and gift purchases April 27-May 4 in conjunction with Book Buyback. Discount is off the original price of all items. Get some gear before you go home for the summer.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

The semester end book buyback is scheduled for April 27-May 3 at the UE Bookstore. A student ID is required to sell books but your original receipt is NOT required. Get cash for books and free quotes for any books, regardless of where purchased or if used on this campus. Books reused on campus next term get special pricing.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

All graduates and their families are invited to attend the 2018 Interfaith Baccalaureate Service this Saturday, May 5 at 10:00 a.m. in Neu Chapel. Baccalaureate is a religious service that gives thanks to God and offers prayer for the graduating class in the context of sacred ceremony. President Kazee will be offering words of wisdom, the University Choir will be singing; Board of Trustee members will be processing with faculty and administrators; and 2018 graduates will be participating in the service. Families are encouraged to arrive early for priority seating.

Graduates are invited to participate in the Baccalaureate service by wearing full regalia (cap, gown, and honors cords), and processing with faculty, members of the Board of Trustees, President Kazee, and other distinguished guests.

Graduates, if you have not registered yet, you are invited to do so by going to the Baccalaureate web page so that the appropriate number of seats may be reserved.

The University of Evansville's 160th Commencement ceremony is planned for Saturday, May 5, at 1:30 p.m. at the Ford Center in downtown Evansville. A total of 487 degrees will be bestowed upon 466 University of Evansville students during the proceedings.

Graduates, if you have family and friends who will be unable to attend, please let them know that they can watch a live stream of the ceremony here: http://www.evansville.edu/live/

A video of the Commencement ceremony will be posted on this page in the coming weeks.

The University traditionally selects a graduating student to deliver the keynote address at spring Commencement and Cesar H. Guitunga Jr. Guitunga was selected to give this year’s address. Guitunga came to UE from Maputo, Mozambique, and will graduate with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Health Services Administration. He has been very involved in the UE community. As a member of the University’s men’s soccer team, he successfully balanced his athletic and academic responsibilities. Guitunga was among the top ten student-athletes who have engaged in community service.

Jacob Lutz, UE’s Student Government Association president, will also deliver a message to the graduating class. Lutz is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication and Multimedia Production.

During the ceremony, honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees will be presented to UE president Thomas Kazee and his wife Sharon Kazee and to Don Mattingly.

During his tenure at UE, President Kazee worked tirelessly to elevate the University’s stature among private comprehensive liberal arts and sciences institutions. He is known for his passion for and commitment to excellence in education.

Before becoming UE’s first lady, Sharon Kazee had already established a distinguished career in education encouraging young and old in the arts. Her commitment to arts and education at UE has been exemplary and enhanced the Evansville community.

Mattingly has enjoyed a long and esteemed career in professional baseball and received numerous awards in recognition of his notable achievements. He has never forgotten his hometown and has given personally and financially to support underprivileged youth organizations and promote sports in the Evansville area through Mattingly Charities.

The University of Evansville Alumni Association’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year award, the Eykamp Prize, and the Outstanding Senior Service Awards will also be announced during the ceremony.

Join changemakers on campus at the Diversity House (the house with the purple door on Weinbach across from Hughes Hall), this afternoon - Friday, May 4 - from 1:00-3:00 p.m. for a celebratory potluck picnic. If you want to bring something, sign up here! Questions? E-mail Erin Lewis at EL131@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Erin Lewis el131@evansville.edu

The study abroad office welcomes back all students who were at Harlaxton this spring! There will be an official welcome back reception today from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Krannert Lobby. Any and all Harlaxton participants are welcome to stop by for some snacks and the chance to talk about your Harlaxton experiences. We hope to see you there!

Submitted by Greta Becker gb91@evansville.edu

Students who have used Federal Direct (sub/unsub) Loans and plan to graduate in the spring or summer (or transfer after the spring semester) are required to attend a Loan Repayment Counseling Session. The Office of Financial Aid will hold a session this Friday, May 4 at 11:30 a.m. 

Emily Rohr, Biology
Emily has been involved in the infant mortality ChangeLab from the start. In my estimation, Emily applied her scientific and sociological knowledge to a crucial problem facing an underserved community in Evansville. She rejected the status quo that race and class differences are sufficient reasons for inaction and maltreatment. Emily (and the ChangeLab group) helped design and implement communication artifacts about safe strategies for reducing high infant mortality rates among communities of color.

Nominated by Dr. Rob Shelby

The Fitness Center will start summer hours on Monday, May 7.

The summer schedule will be:

• Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
• Closed - Saturday and Sunday

Submitted by Lori Adams la87@evansville.edu

Books for Summer Session I and II are available in the UE Bookstore at any time. Summer hours for the store are Monday–Thursday from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. There are NO Saturday or Sunday hours for the store during the summer starting May 12. You can order your books online at the bookstore website as well at www.evansville.bkstr.com.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

The UE Bookstore has one open position during the entire summer for 24 hours per week. Must be available May - August and work study eligible is preferred but not required. Inquire at the bookstore if interested.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

The PowerPoint template that is located on AceLink under Areas, Marketing and Communications, has been updated. Please use this template when creating PowerPoint presentations in the future. You should no longer use the PowerPoint presentation with IMPACT in the lower right hand corner. 

Would one class that fulfills several general education requirements and teaches you valuable life skills interest you? Do you want to reduce your course load during the regular fall or spring semesters? How would you like to take such a course NO MATTER WHERE you plan to be this summer?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider enrolling in COMM 380 ONLINE (Intercultural Communication) offered in Summer Session II.

COMM 380 meets criteria for General Education Outcome 9 (Understanding of Core Concepts of Society, Human Behavior, and Civic Knowledge) and Overlay Component A (Global Diversity: International Component).

For more information, contact professor emeritus of communication Dean Thomlison at dt4@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Dean Thomlison dt4@evansville.edu

Did you enjoy building those yard barns for Barn Blitz?

To continue this collaboration between Habitat and UE, we are pleased to announce the Purple Crew Signature Program!

Purple Crew is a program for all UE students, alumni, faculty and staff to help build houses and earn hours. The goal of Purple Crew is to make UE a visible force for good in the community as Habitat reaches for its goal of 500 homes this year.

How do you get involved?

Simply go to the Habitat website at www.evansvillehabitat.org/volunteer and click on the Volunteer Now banner. Register with Habitat as a volunteer and then select days that you can build. You can also register as a team, so bring your friends, office mates, and colleagues out for a day! It will be a super friendly environment when people know that you are UE Purple Crew! After 15 hours, you get your Purple Crew T-shirt. Another recognizable sign of UE out in the community building houses!

The program is active currently so you can volunteer all summer. We will also have lots of information in the new school year if you are not in Evansville in the summer but want to get involved.

For more information, please contact Holly Carter at hc110@evansville.edu. Remember that you can volunteer with no knowledge of building, we need willing spirits and open minds! Come and learn something new this summer and help others in our community!

P.S - Want to get started? There will be a women’s build right here in Evansville on May 9. If 50 women come out to volunteer, Habitat gets a $5000 grant! Grab those hammers!

Submitted by Holly Carter hc110@evansville.edu

Please note that the Dean of Students office will not grant official excused absences during finals except for extreme circumstances (i.e.: death of an immediate family member, emergency surgery, etc.).  Students who feel they are unable to take a scheduled final exam should work directly with their professors to discuss other possible options.

The UE Bookstore has a limited number of boxes available for students on a first come basis. We will limit two per student until the end of next week if we have a large stock remaining. Just come to the bookstore if you're interested in some moving boxes.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

There are available jobs through UE work-study offered by the Office of Financial Aid for UE students. The student employment application may be obtained on WebAdvisor through the Student tab, under the Student Employment section. A listing of all available positions (Student Employment Positions Listing All Positions/All Departments) may also be found there. Applications should be directed to the department for which the student is applying. Questions regarding eligibility should be directed to Sean Riley at sr252@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Sean Riley sr252@evansville.edu

If you'd like to improve your residential experience at UE, you should apply for the UE Think Tank!

The Think Tank is a FREE opportunity to have your voice heard. This conference will occur June 22-24 on UE’s campus. Residence Life is covering the cost of housing, and RSA is covering the costs for meals and assorted snacks and breakfast items throughout. The only costs on your end are travel to and from campus.

This weekend long conference’s goals are to

A) To get student input on different topics related to the residential student experience.

B) To start planning for the 2018-19 school year for Resident Students Association, and ensure a successful kickoff.

C) To allow like-minded students the opportunity to work together on residence life initiatives they deem important between academic years.

D) To provide an opportunity for leadership development, networking, and learning. Applications are due Monday, May 28 with acceptance emails being sent out on June 1. To apply, visit: https://goo.gl/forms/0ns3vf1CJaZQvzhH3.

Rental books from the Spring semester rented through the UE Bookstore are due back by 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, May 3. Avoid the late fee and return on time before you leave for the summer. Mark your calendars for this reminder.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

The Newman Club will be offering a 20-minute rosary prayer every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in the Center for Academic Advising in the Clifford Memorial Library. Students and faculty are welcome. For more information, contact Olivia at ov4@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Carly Walker cw289@evansville.edu

As the end of the University’s fiscal year approaches on May 31, administrative services and accounting and audit announce the following procedures related to purchases of goods and services during May.

Pcard purchases

• Pcard purchases posting on the May statement (cycle end date is May 21) will be paid from FY 2017-18 funds. Most shipments post on your Pcard within three to four business days. However, vendors have up to nine business days to post transactions.
• Pcard purchases posting from May 22 through May 31 will be paid from FY 2018-19 (new year) funds, unless the item purchased exceeds $500. Purchases exceeding $500 will be paid from FY 2017-18 funds.

Office Depot orders

• Normally, Office Depot orders placed online by 3:00 p.m. for items in stock are delivered the next business day. Upon delivery, the transaction should post on your Pcard within three to four business days.
• Office Depot orders received by May 15 will likely post on the May 21 Pcard Cycle and be paid from FY 2017-18 funds.
• Office Depot orders placed and received but posting to the Pcard between May 22 and May 31 will be paid from FY 2018-19 funds, unless the items purchased exceed $500. Purchases exceeding $500 will be paid from FY 2017-18 funds.

Purchase Orders

• Approved requisitions converted into purchase orders and delivered by May 31 will be paid from FY 2017-18 funds.
• Approved requisitions indicating FY 2018-19 written on them in red ink will be processed with a delivery date of June 1 or later.
• Backordered purchase orders not delivered by May 31 will be paid from FY 2018-19 funds.

Blanket Orders

• All FY 2017-18 blanket orders expire on May 31.
• Approved requisitions for FY 2018-19 (new year) blanket orders may now be submitted with June 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019 effective dates.
• Backordered blanket purchase order items not delivered by May 31 will be paid from FY 2018-19 funds.

Requisitions for check request

• All services completed and items purchased (and on campus) by May 31 must be submitted on a WebAdvisor voucher to accounting and audit by Monday, June 18 to be paid from FY 2017-18 funds. Any pre-May 31st purchases submitted for payment after this date will be charged to FY 2018-19.

Submitted by Kim Winsett kw83@evansville.edu 

Geoff Edwards, assistant dean of students and director of the Center for Student Engagement, successfully defended his dissertation entitled “The Socially Responsible Activities of Private Colleges and Universities: Lessons in Recruiting an Incoming Class.” Geoff will receive his EdD in Higher Education and Organization Change on June, 2, from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. Congratulations Dr. Edwards!

The academic deans have awarded the Dean’s Teaching Awards for 2018-19. The faculty members being honored are:

Andrew Lampkins, associate professor of physician assistant science from the College of Education and Health Sciences;

Suresh Immanuel Selvaraj, associate professor civil engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science;

Atefeh Yazdanparast Ardestani, assistant professor of marketing from the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration;

Mark Shifflet, professor of communication from the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences; and

Adam Salminen, associate professor of mathematics also from the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences.

Congratulations to our deserving faculty members.

The University of Evansville baseball team put it all together on the mound, at the plate and in the field as the Purple Aces blasted Belmont, 9-1, at Charles H. Braun Stadium Tuesday night.

"It's tough to win at this level, obviously we've shown that this year, and for us to get a win feels good", said Head Coach Wes Carroll. "We're just trying to build some momentum off this. Finals are over with. Our guys can hopefully come to the yard and enjoy being around each other and play the game the right way. I think that was our most complete game of the season."

It began with senior relief pitcher Ryan Brady, making the first start of his collegiate career, and he was sharp. The right hander tossed two innings of shutout work, striking out three, while allowing just one hit. Brady would be lifted after the second for fellow senior reliever Hunter Porterfield, who would come in and strike out a pair, while pitching a perfect third.

"It started on the mound with our pitchers, said Carroll. "I feel like they were winning a lot of even counts and putting a lot of goose eggs up on the board."

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the frame, when the Aces bats came to life. Sophomore outfielder Troy Beilsmith opened the inning by sending hot shot past third base and down the third baseline, resulting in a leadoff double. Freshman first baseman Tanner Craig followed that up with a single up the middle, and a hustling Beilsmith raced around from first to score the icebreaker. Sophomore outfielder Kenton Crews would move Craig to second, legging out a bunt single in the process. Two batters later, sophomore shortstop Craig Shepherd ripped a single to right, tallying Craig and moving Crews over to third. The very next batter, senior catcher Travis Tokarek, making just his second start of the season behind the plate, grooved a shot to center, which got past a diving outfielder. Crews and Shepherd came around to score to make it 4-0 Evansville. Tokarek came around third, going for the rare inside the park home run, but got thrown out at the plate.

However, it wouldn't matter. In the fourth inning, on the strength of five steals, the Aces kept scoring. RBI singles from Troy Beilsmith, senior outfielder Dalton Horstmeier and Kenton Crews pushed the UE lead to 7-0.

"We got a lot of leadoff batters on base and applied some pressure with our speed on their battery," said Carroll.

Meanwhile, Porterfield (1-1) kept rolling along, tossing a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, striking out three, on his way to picking up his first win of the season. Junior left hander Alex Weigand would replace on the hill in the sixth, and got greeted with a solo home run off the bat Kyle Conger. However, that would be his only misstep in a solid 1 2/3 innings of work.

The Aces would tack on two more in the seventh inning, which Crews led off by lacing a triple to center. He would later score on a sacrifice fly from freshman designated hitter Pete Vaccaro. Craig Shepherd would score later in the frame on a wild pitch, making the score 9-1.

Junior reliever Austin Allinger and sophomore reliever Nathan Croner with combine to toss 2 1/3 innings of shutout pitching to close out the game.

The win improves Evansville's record to 8-30 on the season, while the loss drops Belmont to 16-28.

The Aces now head down to the Lone Star State for a big weekend showdown with Missouri Valley Conference rival Dallas Baptist, beginning Friday night.