The University of Evansville Fall Conference is today - Tuesday, August 14 - in Eykamp Hall, Room 251, Ridgway University Center at 1:30 p.m. All faculty, staff, and administrators are invited to the dessert reception to kick off the conference at 12:30 p.m. in the Class of ’59 Gallery and Lounge.

Additionally, the Office of Academic Affairs is hosting Faculty Fall Concurrent Sessions on Wednesday, August 15 from 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. in the Schroeder School of Business Building, and guided tours of the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences from 3:30-4:30 p.m. All faculty, staff, and administrators are welcome to attend the Concurrent Sessions and to go on the tours.

Go here to see the complete list of the Concurrent Sessions.

Please address questions to Paula Heldt at ext. 2479 or ph28@evansville.edu, or Tracey Folden at ext. 2509 or tf91@evansville.edu.

Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, we are all encouraged to #GetWoke. This new academic year, Neu Chapel is encouraging our campus community to have a #WokeFaith as we begin our University Worship #GetWokeUE worship service this upcoming Sunday (August 19) at 9:00 a.m. in Neu Chapel. All are invited and welcome to attend!

Submitted by Keith Turner kt160@evansville.edu 

Today - Tuesday, August 14 - the UE Bookstore will be offering double the regular employee discount as a welcome back. Take 20% off all clothing and gift sales during the day. Stop in before or after the all-campus meeting and save.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

Free HIV testing will be provided at the Health Center by Matthews 25 on August 21 from 8:00-11:00 a.m.

Submitted by Tara Ulrich tu19@evansville.edu

Johnson Controls is on campus conducting the annual fire alarm system testing. As each building is tested the alarm will intermittently go off. (Since this is just a test of the alarm, there is no need to leave the building when the alarm sounds.) Physical plant and security will know on a daily basis the buildings being tested. The testing will be done between 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Testing should be completed by Tuesday, August 21. If you have any concerns or schedule conflicts, please contact the physical plant at 812-488-2775.

Submitted by Jayne Schnacke js607@evansville.edu

The 2018 faculty and staff photography exhibition will be held from September 4 to October 20, in the UE Krannert Gallery.  All active and retired UE faculty and staff are invited to present their work.

Items should be matted, framed, and suitable to hanging in the Krannert Gallery. Pictures up to 16” x 20” in size may be submitted.

Check out your picture files or take some great photographs while you’re on vacation this summer.

Please contact Professor Emeritus of Sociology Hanns Piper (dp5@evansville.edu) if you have any questions.

Submitted by Carol McCraney cm177@evansville.edu

Kevin Smith is the new WFF director of custodial services at the University of Evansville. He is looking forward to new challenges and to continuing to serve the University. The office phone number for WFF facility services (housekeeping) has not changed. It is still 812-488-2045.

Smith has worked for WFF facility services at UE for the past three years. He and his wife Mary have two children and four grandchildren.

Submitted by Kathy Perry kp51@evansville.edu

Textbooks for the fall term can now be purchased in the UE Bookstore or on the UE Bookstore website. Choose from new, used, rental, and eBooks. You can also choose to charge your books to your student account in most cases. Save shipping and flag them for pick up in store if you want.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu 

Departments and/or professors are encouraged to check the UE Bookstore website to make sure their books are listed correctly for the fall term. If there are any missing or if information is not correct, please contact the UE Bookstore immediately. Thanks for your help.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

Welcome to the UE family, new faculty members! Pictured here from left to right are:

Front row: Sara Petrosillo (English), Dean Ying Shang (Dean of Engineering), Katie Thomas (Nursing), Alison Jones (Education), Julie Merkle (Biology), Claire Nutt (Physician Assistant Science)

Back row: David Murphy (Economics), Terry Stumpf (Management), Jason Pitt (Physical Therapy)

New faculty members missing from the photo are: Vincent Campese (Psychology), Gopal Gupta (Religion), Wes Grantom (Theatre), Nicholas Harmon (Physics), Amelia McClain, (Theatre), Janel Miley (Theatre), Moumita Mukherjee (Engineering)

Robert Baines, assistant professor of English, gave a lecture at the Working Men's Institute Museum and Library in New Harmony on August 7. The lecture was organized by the Friends of the Working Men's Institute and was titled "Finnegans Wake: How to Read."

Katie Aldred (’09), assistant professor of biology, and Remi Hoerr, senior biology major, recently attended and presented their research at the Gordon Research Seminar on DNA Topoisomerases in Biology and Medicine. Hoerr’s poster was titled “Quinolone-Topoisomearse Interactions and Resistance: Does the Water-Metal Ion Bridge Play a Role in Staphylococcus aureus topoisomerase IV?” Aldred’s poster was titled “Development, Optimization, and Implementation of an Assay to Measure Intracellular Cleavage Complex Formation in Bacteria.” Two biology students were co-authors on the poster presented by Aldred - Olivia Voegerl, senior biology and exercise science major, and Addie Payne, sophomore biology major. Both research projects were funded through UExplore. The Gordon Research Conference and Seminar series provides an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies with a focus on presentation and discussion of pre-publication research.

Professor Lora Becker has been elected to the National Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Board of Directors for the 2018-20 biennium. She recently ended her 2-year term as chair of their bylaws committee. Phi Kappa Phi will hold an induction ceremony this spring. All inductees are invited regardless of chapter affiliation! Phi Kappa Phi is the largest interdisciplinary honor society.

Heartfelt condolences to Tina Hurt on the passing of her mother Connie Wissner on Thursday morning, August 9. 

University of Evansville head softball coach Mat Mundell has announced the addition of Alexa Alfaro to his staff as an assistant coach starting immediately.

“I am so excited to be able to have Alexa join our coaching staff! She will bring a tremendous amount of energy and passion to our program,” Mundell said. “Being able to add a coach of her caliber to our staff is a huge win for our ladies.” 

Alfaro joins the Purple Aces following a 2-year stint as the assistant softball coach at Morehead State University. In 2018, she helped the Eagles to a 28-23 record and a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. In her time at MSU, Alfaro did a great deal of work with the outfielders while assisting in the day-to-day operation of the program. Her first season at MSU saw the Eagles go 26-22, their first winning campaign since 2010.

She coached First Team All-OVC players Allison Rager and Kylie Holton while guiding Chelsea McManaway to All-Newcomer Team accolades in 2017.  McManaway followed that up with a berth on the First Team in 2018.

“I am very thankful to Coach Mundell and the UE athletic administration for giving me this opportunity. I am excited to work with Mat and Heather (Tarter) and to be part of what they are doing at UE,” Alfaro said. “Evansville is a great area and I am enjoying my time here.”

Before taking the assistant position at Morehead State, Alfaro was a coach for the Bartlett Silverhawks, which is a club team outside of Chicago, Ill.  The native of Bolingbrook, Ill. worked for the Silverhawks from 2015 through 2017.  She also played for the team earlier in her career.

Her first collegiate coaching position came at her alma mater – the University of Indianapolis.  She worked as an assistant with the Greyhounds in 2015, helping the squad win the regional and super regional championships on the way to the Division II College World Series in Oklahoma City. The staff was named the Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

As a player at UIndy, she batted .296 with 102 RBI in three seasons of work.  She was recognized as a First Team All-Midwest player by the NFCA and COSIDA while earning All-Conference accolades.  In the classroom, she was an Academic All-Conference performer in each of her three seasons.

Alfaro and her team had great success on the field, winning the conference tournament in 2011 before advancing to the Super Regionals in 2012.

The Illinois native earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from UIndy and is working towards a degree in health service administration at Evansville