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.

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

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.

Walter McCarty Basketball Camp for grades 2-8 is planned for June 11-14. The cost is $250. There is a UE staff discount of 10 percent with the promo code uembbemp. Register online at WalterMcCartyBasketballCamps.com.

Carina Wahlstrom, Music TherapyClayton
Carina Wahlstrom was the first ever student to propose her own ChangeLab (formerly GAP) class. After an internship with the NICU, Carina became concerned about noise level impacts on infants’ hearing. She didn’t know exactly where to start, but proposed her own class, recruited an interdisciplinary team of students, and her project has collected so much information, their work may be incorporated into sound design projects at both NICUs, as well as maternity classes throughout the tri-state area on the potentially harmful effects of loud toys on infants’ hearing. She brought together students from multiple disciplines for this project.

Nominated by Amanda Mackey

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

The Student Health Center will begin reduced summer hours on Monday, May 7. Hours throughout the summer semester will be Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.-noon. There WILL NOT be a nurse practitioner on site throughout the summer semester for students. Please plan accordingly for prescription refills. The Health Center staff want to wish everyone a safe and healthy summer!

Submitted by Ashley Craig ac408@evansville.edu

Official transcripts will not be available from Friday, April 27 until Thursday May 10.

Orders must be placed through www.evansville.edu/transcripts.

If you have questions, please contact the registrar’s office for assistance.

Submitted by Teresa Haller th227@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.

The Office of Veterans Affairs wishes to congratulate Lieutenant Sabrina Lux on her ROTC commissioning into the Active Duty Infantry Branch. Lux enrolled in the UE/USI ROTC program in the fall semester of her sophomore year.

Shortly after joining, she enlisted into the Indiana National Guard as a 35F All-Source Intel Analyst and attended basic training and advanced individual training during the summer and fall of her junior year. As a student at the University of Evansville, she served as the UEVETS Secretary, and was an active Admission Ambassador.

During her time in the ROTC program, she was awarded the Leadership excellence award, competed in the German Armed Forced Proficiency Badge Competition, where she received the silver medal, and earned the Order of the World Wars Award at Advanced Camp. During the fall semester of her senior year, Lux served as the Eagle Company First Sergeant before making the transition to Wabash Battalion Commander in the spring. Lux is the first UE cadet to serve in that role.

She graduates from UE with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in psychology.

Community service is one of the most important parts of being a student-athlete at the University of Evansville and the Purple Aces continued to be active in that manner over the last year.

Over 98 organizations benefited from the volunteering of 243 student-athletes at UE. They combined to post over 4,130.4 hours of work with those organizations. Pacing the Aces sports teams was the softball squad, led by head coach Mat Mundell, whose team combined to serve 1,284.9 hours this year.

“Community service is a huge part of our program,” Mundell said. “We want our girls to be out in community making a positive impact. They have really embraced this and have done an amazing job serving.”

UE senior associate athletic director/SWA Sarah Solinsky echoed those sentiments.

"Coach Mundell, his staff and student-athletes have displayed a passion for serving our community and the efforts of the S/A's embodies our mission at UE for our students," Solinsky said.

Topping the list of UE student-athletes was Alex Latoria, who posted 137.5 hours of service. She assisted in 12 different organizations. For her efforts, she was one of ten student-athletes to earn the Missouri Valley Conference State Farm Good Neighbor Award for the 2017-18 spring season.

In order to be eligible for the award, the student-athlete must be in good academic standing, must demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and significant community service, and must participate in a sport, during the season of recognition. The Valley will recognize 10 student-athletes three times annually (fall, winter, spring), for a total of 30 honorees.  Institutions select their State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award honorees.

“We are really proud of Alex. She put in a lot of hours helping many different organizations,” Coach Mundell added. “She is a true role model and so deserving of this.”

The softball team and the top student-athlete volunteers were recognized last weekend during the softball series against SIU.

The top 20 are listed below along with a list of organizations that they have helped.  They are listed in order by number of hours they have volunteered.

• Alexandra Latoria - Women’s Softball
• Emily Lockhart - Women’s Softball
• Morgan Florey - Women’s Softball
• Jaime Nurrenbern - Women’s Softball
• Danielle Cassidy - Women’s Softball
• Mea Adams - Women’s Softball
• Antonia Galas - Women’s Softball
• Kristin Koepke - Women’s Softball
• Eryn Gould - Women’s Softball
• Brittany Hay - Women’s Softball
• McKenzie Johnson - Women’s Softball
• Elyse Hickey - Women’s Softball
• Lindsay Renneisen - Women’s Softball
• Bailee Bostic - Women’s Softball
• Olivia Cheatham - Women’s Softball
• Allison Daggett - Women’s Softball
• Ashleigh Downing - Women’s Softball
• Tattenai Hall - Women’s Basketball
• Marley Miller - Women’s Basketball
• Kaylan Coffman - Women’s Basketball

Organizations

• AIDS Resource Group
• American Red Cross
• Aquatic Aces
• ARC of Evansville
• Barnes and Noble
• Bartlett High School
• BE Softball
• Birthday Party at BWW
• Boat Race
• Boo at the Zoo
• Boonville Aquatics
• Boys and Girls Club
• Brighton Best International
• Bull. H East HS
• Camp reveal
• Cardio for Canines
• Caregiving
• Caze Elementary
• Central Illinois Run
• Challenger League
• Character Academy
• Chile Verde
• College Week
• Cornerstone Church
• Crossroads Elementary
• DUMC Sak Lunch program
• Engineering Bridge HS Kids
• Enterprise Zone
• Evansville Rescue Mission
• Evansville Rotary Club
• Fall Mentee
• Feed My Starving Children
• Fish packing
• FoDU 5k
• Fortitude Homeless
• Habitat for Humanity
• Hatton McCredie after school
• Hebron Elementary
• Highland Elementary School Walk
• Holly's House
• Holy Rosary Clinics
• Hospital
• House Cleaning
• It takes a Village
• Lamac engineering
• Lawrence Central
• League of their Own
• Lenti Inc.
• Lodge Elementary
• MACO Management
• Make A Wish
• McHenry High School
• Midday with Mike
• Mohlenberg South Elementary
• Night of Memories
• Ohio Co. Animal Shelter
• Olmstead Home
• One-Life Church Nursery
• Ozanam
• Play for Kate
• Prospects softball coaching
• Race for the Cure
• Recruitment Talk
• Resurrection Reading
• Rising Sun Legion Post 59
• Ronald McDonald House Charities
• Santa Run
• Shultz EB Walk
• Softball Camps
• St. Ben's
• St. Charles Angels
• St. Vincent
• Student Life Freshman Move In
• Tecumseh
• Toys for Tots
• Trinity Lutheran Church
• Tristate Raffle
• TTE Electronics
• Turkey Trot 5K
• UE Day of Caring
• UE Health Science Open House
• UE Political Science Department
• UE Trunk or Treat
• UE VB Club
• UE Welcome Carrying the Torch
• Valley View Elementary
• Vanderburgh Humane Society
• Vogel Elementary
• Wabash General Hospital
• Warehouse cleanout
• Web.com Golf Tour
• Wellington Rehab
• YMCA

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 Missouri Valley Conference/Mountain West Challenge Series returns for its eighth season in 2018 and will feature the University of Evansville men’s basketball team taking on the University of Wyoming.

Set for Wednesday, November 28, the game between the Purple Aces and Cowboys will take place at the Ford Center. It will mark the third meeting between the schools. On December 23, 1988, the Aces earned an 84-63 win at Roberts Stadium before the Cowboys defended their home court on December 5, 1989 with a 66-64 triumph.

Evansville is playing in the series for the seventh time and has gone 2-4 in its first six contests. UE’s games in the series include:

12/5/10 – at Air Force – L – 56-57
12/3/11 – vs. TCU – L – 68-70 OT
12/1/12 – at Colorado State – L – 72-79
12/20/15 – at Fresno State – W – 85-77
12/3/16 – vs. Boise State – W – 72-67
11/29/17 – at New Mexico – L – 59-78

In 2017, for the second consecutive season, the Mountain West and Missouri Valley split the 10-game series, 5-5. The MW has an all-time series edge of 3-1-3 in seven previous Challenge seasons, including an overall advantage of 38-27 in games played in association with the series.

The Challenge Series features head-to-head competition between 10 Mountain West and 10 Missouri Valley teams annually, with each conference hosting five games apiece each season. The 2018 edition of the Challenge Series is the eighth.

Annual matchups for teams in the Challenge Series are based upon factors including the previous year’s achievements, records and RPI rankings, as well as projected rankings/strength of teams in the upcoming season, based upon composite sources. Each season is considered separately in terms of matchups, therefore, games from the previous year’s Challenge Series may not be returned.

Television rights for each Challenge Series contest will be controlled by the home team’s conference television agreement, which will dictate the distribution of the game and all related matters, including tip times.

2018 Challenge Series Schedule:
11/27/18 - Nevada at Loyola Chicago - Chicago, Ill.
11/27/18 - Boise State at Drake - Des Moines, Iowa
11/27/18 - Southern Illinois at Colorado State - Fort Collins, Colo.
11/28/18 – Valparaiso at UNLV - Las Vegas, Nev.
11/28/18 - UNI at Utah State - Logan, Utah
11/28/18 - Indiana State at San Jose State - San Jose, Calif.
11/28/18 - Missouri State at Air Force - Colorado Springs, Colo.
11/28/18 - Wyoming at Evansville - Evansville, Ind.
12/1/18 - New Mexico at Bradley - Peoria, Ill.
12/1/18 - San Diego State at Illinois State - Normal, Ill.