The University of Evansville starts the 2018-19 academic year with an outstanding freshman class representing a 13 percent increase over last year. New Evansville Aces will join a full-time student body of 2,443.

Members of the freshman class represent 29 states and 26 countries, with an increase in domestic ethnic diversity of 16 percent—an all-time high for the university. Additionally, UE received more applications this year than at any other time in the school’s history with a 24 percent increase in applications over the previous year.

The number of graduate students at UE increased by 15 percent this year. The new, state-of-the-art Stone Family Center for Health Sciences in downtown Evansville is now home to two of UE’s graduate programs—the Doctorate of Physical Therapy and the Physician Assistant program and demonstrates a university commitment to health sciences and our Evansville community.

“The increased interest is a direct reflection of the tremendous academic and experiential opportunities at UE,” said President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz. “Students want to be a part of the UE experience, and there is a long list of exciting new developments at UE adding to the momentum.” 

In May, UE was the first university in Indiana and the 47th in the world designated as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, which recognizes the school’s role as a leader in social innovation. The changemaker culture at UE empowers students to improve the world around them - starting right on campus. 

“Come see what the excitement is about,” said vice president of enrollment, Shane Davidson. “We tailor campus visits to the individual interest of our prospective students, and we’d love to create a personal visit experience for anyone interested in seeing how UE can transform their life at a cost that is affordable for all students.”

Those interested in scheduling a campus tour can contact the Office of Admission at admission@evansville.edu or online at www.evansville.edu/visit.

The University of Evansville has been named seventh best college in the Midwest in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges rankings. UE has risen two spots in this year’s overall ranking, and was again named as one of the top 10 value colleges in the Midwest.

The University was also recognized as one of the Most Innovative Schools in the Midwest for the first time. Top college officials from across the country made nominations for this list, selecting institutions known for making the most innovative improvements in curriculum, faculty, campus life, technology, or facilities.

In May 2018, UE was designated as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U for its role as a leader in social innovation and changemaking in higher education. UE is the first Changemaker Campus in Indiana.

The University was listed on several other U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges lists this year. UE’s Schroeder School of Business was named the number three best undergraduate business school among small private colleges in the nation, with its accounting and finance programs coming in at number one and number two respectively.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science was named the number 25 best undergraduate engineering school in the nation among small private colleges with no doctorate. 

The University was also recognized as the number six Best College for Veterans in the Midwest and a Top Midwest School for International Students and remains a Top 10 Best Value college.

“To be recognized nationally on so many levels speaks volumes about the great programs, great people, and great qualities of this University,” said Shane Davidson, vice president for enrollment and marketing at UE. “We are especially proud of making the most innovative list - innovation and changemaking are at the heart of the UE experience.”

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are designed to help prospective students and their families evaluate college choices. The Best Colleges rankings are available online at www.usnews.com/colleges and will be published in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2019 guidebook, on newsstands later this month.

Tonight the Women of Color Empowerment are having a call out meeting tonight – Thursday, September 13 – from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Room 253, Ridgway University Center. All are welcome to attend.

Have you ever wondered if you were in a place where you didn't belong? Look no further! Women of Color Empowerment is here to not only uplift women of color but to empower us as well. This organization is about the sisterhood of women and developing a positive safe space for discussion in order to better advance spiritual growth and well-being for all.

For more information, contact Alexis Jones at aj134@evansville.edu.

Submitted by LaNeeca Williams lw161@evansville.edu

Seniors - the first senior event of the year has come. You are invited to Wine Down to the Weekend today - Thursday, September 13 - at the Reitz Home Museum and Carriage House from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This event is for seniors only! You must be 21 and bring a valid ID.

There will be live music, an option of wine or beer, and complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Dress casually (jeans are acceptable) and make lasting memories with your senior class. Be sure to bring cash for any alcoholic beverages.

Click here to register or inquire about further details.

Submitted by Cherice Williams cw288@evansville.edu 

The campus community is invited to the Neu Chapel Forum tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Class of 59 Gallery (Ridgway University Center). We will be discussing the ever-present need for reconciliation, forgiveness, liberation, and identity. This powerful conversation is especially poignant and necessary in a culture wrecked by divisiveness. All are welcome!

Submitted by Keith Turner kt160@evansville.edu

The Office of Religious Life will be hosting another game night in the Class of 59 Gallery in Ridgway University Center this evening at 6:00 p.m. There will be Twister, Giant Jenga, and more! Come prepare for the weekend with some great fun!

Submitted by Keith Turner kt160@evansville.edu 

Sigma Alpha Iota is a national music fraternity for women. The SAI Beta Epsilon chapter will be hosting informal recruitment on Monday, September 17 through Wednesday, September 19 at 8:30 p.m. in the Krannert Hall of Art and Music. Come for an informative night about the chapter with snacks, games, and more. If you have any questions, e-mail Madeline Cox at mc324@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Madeline Cox mc324@evansville.edu

Interested in showcasing your talent? Join SAB today - Friday, September 14 - at 6:00 p.m. in Rademacher's Lounge in Ridgway University Center for Open Mic Night! All talents welcome. Please contact Aniekan Ekanem at ae129@evansville.edu to get signed up.

Submitted by Megan King mk225@evansville.edu

Carolyn Homer, a civil rights attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), will be the guest speaker for this year’s Constitution Day lecture at the University of Evansville. The lecture is planned for tonight - Thursday, September 20 - at 7:00 p.m. in Smythe Lecture Hall (Room 170) in the Schroeder School of Business Building. Admission to the lecture, which is part of UE’s annual observance of Constitution Day, is free and open to the public.

The topic of Homer’s lecture will be “Dissent is Patriotic: How the Constitution Protects Our Civil Rights.” 

Homer’s work focuses on fighting discrimination against American Muslims. She is currently litigating constitutional challenges to the federal terrorist watch list, the presidential travel ban, and state attempts to silence advocacy on behalf of Palestine. CAIR also has a large docket of employment discrimination and prison discrimination cases. 

Prior to joining CAIR, Homer worked for five years at the leading international law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan on constitutional law and technology cases, on behalf of some of the largest Silicon Valley companies.

Homer is a graduate of Indiana University and George Washington University Law School. She is admitted to practice law in California, the District of Columbia, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Venturing Crew 365 has an incredible opportunity lined up for next summer: Philmont Scout Ranch!

This is a 12-day backpacking trip in the New Mexico Rocky Mountains. It lasts from June 13-25 (not counting days on either side for travel).

There are only five spots left, so please don't waste this opportunity.

We will be telling you all a little more about Philmont and what to expect, as well as discussing prices and fundraising opportunities!

If you are interested but cannot attend this meeting, please e-mail ef111@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Elizabeth Ferguson ef111@evansville.edu

A Venturing Crew callout meeting is planned for 7:00 p.m. in Room 172 in the Schroeder School of Business Building. Come learn about the amazing trips that the group has planned and to pay the $25 membership fee!

Submitted by Elizabeth Ferguson ef111@evansville.edu

IM Golf Scramble is planned for this Saturday, September 15, at Wesselman Par 3 Golf Course.

• Register at imleagues.com
• Tee time at 9:00 a.m.
• Cost is $5 and students, staff and faculty welcome!

Submitted by Lori Adams la87@evansville.edu 

Please join us on Friday, September 14 from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in academic advising to celebrate the many years of service Frances Enzler has served the UE community and students. Clifford Memorial Library.

Submitted by Stacey Shanks ss581@evansville.edu

You're invited to go to Skyzone and participate in a FREE glow jump with the Newman Club on Friday, September 14 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.! All are welcome - you do not have to be a part of the Newman Club to join in.

Sign-ups are through UEngage and waivers are required. We will meet in front of Ridgway University Center at 6:45 that evening to take buses over!

Submitted by Sam Wallisch sw265@evansville.edu

Calling all pre-health students! Is your goal to go to medical, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary school after your time at UE? Come to a workshop to learn about how to get started on your path to becoming a health professional.

A workshop is planned for today - Thursday, September 13 - at 4:00 p.m. in Room 124, Koch Center for Engineering and Science

Please contact Francie Renschler, pre-professional health advisor, with any questions.

Submitted by Francie Renschler fr25@evansville.edu 

The Lincolnshire Front Porch Festival will take place on Sunday. September 30 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. This close-by neighborhood (College Hwy, S. Willow Road right off of Lincoln Ave) festival will feature live music and food by Pizza Revolution and others. The event is FREE and open to the public, including the entire UE community.

Come by and experience LIVE music and good food in a historic neighborhood. This event is made possible by the United Neighborhoods of Evansville, Greater Lincolnshire Neighborhood Association, and the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana.

For more information, you may contact Timothy Zifer at tz3@evansville.edu or ext. 2878.

Submitted by Tim Zifer tz3@evansville.edu

Kick off the year right with the UE Venturing Crew at its annual canoe trip and cookout at Bluegrass Fishing and Wildlife Area!

The event is FREE and includes food and transportation. All participants need to be a Venturing Crew member. That means you must complete a registration form and pay your annual dues ($25).

If you were unable to sign up for the crew at the open house, please contact the president of Venturing Crew at ef111@evansville.edu.

If you would like to sign up for this event or register for the crew, please visit the group’s table on the first floor of Ridgway University Center. They will be taking sign-ups from September 5-7, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and 5:00-7:00 p.m.

If you cannot make it to these sign-ups, please contact ef111@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Elizabeth Ferguson ef111@evansville.edu

Students – are you considering graduate or professional school? UE Center for Career Development is covering the cost of attending several Graduate/Professional School Fairs held in the state of Indiana. All information is at this site: www.evansville.edu/careercenter/students/events.cfm.

Thursday. September 27 - Indiana University Law Day at Bloomington, IN

Free transportation. A refundable deposit of $10 is required. Restrictions apply - see CCD website

Over 115 law school programs attended in 2017; the largest Law School Fair in the U.S.

For more information about the fair: hpplc.indiana.edu/law/law-lawday.shtml.

To sign up for van and register with CCD: www.evansville.edu/careercenter/students/eventDetails.cfm?eventId=14660.

UE registration deadline is September 20.

Please contact the Center for Career Development with any questions. The office is located in the student life area in Ridgway University Center or you can call 812 488 1083 or e-mail career@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Alison Morris-McDonald am268@evansville.edu

There will be a Catholic Mass this Sunday, September 16, at 1:00 pm in Neu Chapel. Father Godfrey Mullen will be the celebrant. All are welcome! 

Submitted by Sam Wallisch sw265@evansville.edu

Self-care Mindfulness: Yoga and Meditation, an event hosted by the Change Lab/ GAP Course Mental Health Awareness Team, is planned for today - Thursday, September 20 - from 5:00-6:00 p.m. on the East Terrace Lawn outside of Ridgway University Center.

The goal of the event is to create awareness about mental health while offering free management skills like yoga and meditation to the UE campus community.

Special guests/ instructors are Mark Goltiao and Megan Sicard.

Submitted by Aisha Tijjani at166@evansville.edu

The campus community is invited to do some book shopping in the narthex (lobby) of Neu Chapel -- FREE shopping!! There are three tables stacked with books about Jesus, Church history, Augustine, Luther, preaching, spirituality, prayer, philosophy, Tom Landry, pastoral care, church growth, Jim Ware's "Early Christianity" class, leadership, psychology, sociology, and much more! Feel free to take them for yourself or give away. They won't last long!

Submitted by Tamara Gieselman tg85@evansville.edu

Calling all faculty! Did you know that you have the opportunity at UE to create and lead your own short term program abroad? If you are interested in taking your class global, make sure to fill out a proposal to set up a faculty-led program! Proposal applications can be found on the faculty-led programs page of the study abroad website or in the Study Abroad area on AceLink. We are currently accepting proposals for the 2019-20 academic year.

Proposals are required whether you’ve run a program multiple times or are hoping to set up something brand new. Applications are due by November 1 and decisions on proposals will be given by the beginning of December. Completed proposals can be e-mailed to studyabroad@evansville.edu. If you have any questions about the proposal application, please contact Greta Becker at gb91@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Greta Becker gb91@evansville.edu

Come learn more about Harlaxton this Thursday and Friday from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in Ridgway University Center! The Harlaxton office staff will be joined by David Green of the British studies faculty at Harlaxton and some of the Harlaxton Ambassadors at the table. So if you would like to learn more about how to go to Harlaxton or how to stay involved with Harlaxton, or just would like to chat with David Green, visit our table in Ridgway University Center this week!

Submitted by Kaylynn Carver kc205@evansville.edu

This fall, the Harlaxton office has a lot going on! We would like to introduce these new weekly AceNotes updates to keep the UE community informed about what we are up to, where we are traveling to promote Harlaxton, and what is going on with our favorite British manor house, so look out each week to see what the US Harlaxton team is up to!

This week, we are excited to welcome David Green, senior lecturer in British studies at Harlaxton College, to Evansville! Green will be in the US for almost three weeks as part of his sabbatical this semester recruiting for Harlaxton, meeting with various people on campus, and getting to know UE better. There will be a reception for him in the Dunigan Lounge in the Schroeder School of Business Building on September 24 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. for everyone on campus to welcome and chat with him.

Green accompanied Holly Carter, director of Harlaxton College Programs, on a visit to Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond on September 11. EKU is a new Harlaxton partner school, and our first EKU Harlaxton student is at the manor this fall!

The other visit this week will be to Murray State University; Anna Beth Gillon, Harlaxton Programs intern, will be attending the Murray study abroad fair on September 13, along with professors William Stroube and Donald Rodd, to promote the Harlaxton summer session.

On campus, Harlaxton orientation classes started this week, and the whole office is excited to start preparing the Spring 2019 Harlaxton class! The deadline for students to apply for Harlaxton Spring 2019 will be this Friday, September 14. The deadline for returned Harlaxton students to be part of our Harlaxton Ambassador program will also be this Friday. Look out for more information on faculty applications and more partner school visits next week!

Submitted by Kaylynn Carver kc205@evansville.edu

Join Global Friends and Families to meet an international student for friendship, support, and cultural sharing. The program matches Evansville families with international students to help students learn more about typical American life and to give families the chance to learn and grow together.

For more information, attend an information session on Monday, September 17 at 4:30 p.m. in Ridgway University Center 219, Beck Conference Room in the Student Life Center. If you can't make it or have other questions, please contact Megan Sicard at ms331@evansville.edu or ext. 2280.

Submitted by Megan Sicard ms331@evansville.edu

The University of Evansville Leadership Academy (UELA) and Catalysts for Change are accepting applications until September 14! Go to UEngage to submit your application. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for more information.

Submitted by Becca Humphrey rh190@evansville.edu

UE music professor James Sullivan is starting an LGBT friendly chorus, called the River Bend Rainbow Chorus, that meets Monday nights, 7:00-8:30 p.m., at Grace and Peace Lutheran Church. The next rehearsal is September 17. Anyone from the UE or Evansville communities who identifies as LGBT or is a straight ally is welcome to join!

Submitted by James Sullivan js820@evansville.edu

The UE Bookstore has a limited quantity of 15-inch adjustable computer monitors available for $15. These are made available through the Office of Technology Services. Monitors were formerly used in campus computer labs and were replaced recently. These are AS IS models and are available to anyone from the campus community on a first come, first served basis. Check them out in the Bookstore or view this photo.

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

College Mentors for Kids is a national organization that connects kids to college students through weekly on-campus activities that inspire growth, confidence, and brighter futures. The chapter here at UE brings kids to campus every week from Joshua Academy that range from 1st to 5th grade. Mentors are paired one-on-one with a student and will go through many activities with each other that focus on community, diversity, and higher education. Mentors participate each Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Classes that last until 3:50 p.m. or start at 5:00 p.m. can be worked around!

If you are interested in applying, then you can do so here: members.collegementors.org/application.

The deadline for applications is September 14 and interviews follow the next week! If you have any questions, then please reach out to Joe Cook (jc491@evansville.edu) or Paige Hignite (ph89@evansville.edu).

Submitted by Joe Cook jc491@evansville.edu

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.

All classes will be held Thursday evenings beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Koch Center for Engineering and Science building on the UE campus. Classes are divided into relevance per discipline. Fees are adjusted accordingly.

• Civil engineering candidates will attend from September 27 through January 24. 
• Mechanical engineering and other disciplines candidates will attend from September 27 through November 15. 
• Electrical and computer engineering candidates will attend October 25 through November 15.

Registration forms and payment must be returned by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26.

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. 

Submitted by Kimberly Higgins kh209@evansville.edu 

Robert Dion, department chair for Law, Politics, and Society, recently participated in the preparation of a report on the status of voting rights in the state of Indiana. That report will be formally presented on Wednesday, September 12, at a meeting of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. The work is the result of a series of fact-finding hearings held across the state by members of the Indiana State Advisory Committee (SAC) to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Professor Dion, who is the longtime chairperson of the local civil rights agency, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission, received a federal appointment to the Indiana State Advisory Committee in 2014. Those interested in reading the report and seeing its recommendations may read it here: www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/07-25-IN-Voting-Rights.pdf.

University of Evansville Department of Theatre alumnus Rami Malek ’03 was recently interviewed by the New York Times. The article, titled "Rami Malek, Catching Mercury," appeared in the September 10 issue. You can also read the entire article online.