Join us as we celebrate the inauguration of the University of Evansville’s 24th president, Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, with a weekend of events.

Students, faculty, staff, and friends are welcome to attend any and all inauguration weekend festivities and are asked to register online by Friday, February 15 for the reception and ceremony. 

INAUGURATION WEEKEND EVENTS:

Investiture Ceremony: Eades Professorship of Music and the White Family Endowed Professorship in Nursing
Saturday, March 2 at 1:30 p.m.
Neu Chapel
The UE community is invited to celebrate as Timothy Zifer, DMA, professor of music and Jerrilee Lamar, PhD, associate professor and chair of the department of nursing are honored. Registration is not required for this event. 

Panel Discussion: University of Evansville: The First 100 Years
Saturday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m.
The discussion will reflect on major milestones in UE’s history during the 100 years since the institution’s move to Evansville from Moores Hill, Indiana in 1919.The panel will be moderated by Dr. James MacLeod, chair of UE’s department of history and panelists include Rose Mays ‘66, Richard Werking ‘66, Steve Worthington ’73, Julie Williams ’85, Sylvia DeVault ‘85, and Eloho Okeze ’08. This event is free and open to the public and registration is not required. 

Investiture Ceremony: Igleheart Chair in Political Science
Saturday, March 2 at 4:30 p.m.
Neu Chapel
The UE community is invited to celebrate as Robert Dion, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Department of Law, Politics, and Society is honored. Registration is not required for this event. 

Inauguration Reception
Saturday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m.
Ridgway University Center, Second Floor
Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. Guests are asked to wear business attire and registration is required. 

Inauguration Ceremony
Sunday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m.
Victory Theatre, 600 Main Street in Downtown Evansville
Join us as we welcome the University of Evansville’s 24th president, Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, and his family as they enter our Evansville community. Guests are asked to wear business attire and registration is required. 

REGISTER ONLINE HERE by Friday, February 15

Faculty Recital: Britton, Gan, Keenan, and Ungar
Tuesday, February 12
7:30 p.m., Wheeler Concert Hall
On Tuesday, February 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Wheeler, UE music faculty Emily Britton (horn), Jia-Rong Gan (violin), Alanna Keenan (soprano), and Garnet Ungar (piano) will present a joint faculty recital. Their program will feature works by Schubert, Gounod, Debussy, and Brahms. The recital is free and open to the public.

For full program information, visit the music department concert calendar.

Jazz pianist Stephanie Trick featured in Guest Artist Series
Sunday, February 17
4:00 p.m., Wheeler Concert Hall
Pianist Stephanie Trick, an internationally-recognized master of traditional jazz piano styles, will be featured in the next Jazz Guest Artist Series concert. Co-sponsored by the UE Department of Music and the Evansville Jazz Society, the concert will take place in Wheeler Concert Hall on Sunday, February 17 at 4:00 p.m.

Stephanie is widely recognized as today’s most outstanding proponent of the jazz piano styles known as Harlem stride and boogie-woogie. A classically trained pianist, Stephanie discovered piano jazz while still in high school. She has thoroughly incorporated the swinging piano styles of James P. Johnson, Willie “The Lion” Smith, Fats Waller and Meade Lux Lewis. She has performed throughout the USA and Europe, and her exciting performances entertain and engage her audiences with prodigious and amazingly accurate technique. She has recorded seven albums and one DVD. Her “Live” CD was awarded the “New Talent Prize of 2011” by the Hot Club of France.

Admission to the concert is $15 for adults, $10 for Jazz Society members and $5 for students with I.D. Tickets can be obtained by contacting the UE Department of Music at 488-2754, or at the door.

For more information, contact Edwin Lacy at 812-488-2227 or EL2@evansville.edu.

Submitted by James Sullivan js820@evansville.edu 

Calling all pre-professional health students! Is the idea of getting started on your personal statement for professional school weighing on your shoulders? Join me this week for a workshop on the ins and outs of writing your personal statement and jump start this sometimes overwhelming step. We will discuss various styles of personal statements, how to get started and even touch upon getting prepared for the application process.

The workshop dates, times, and locations are as follows:

• Tuesday, February 12 at 1:00 p.m.  in Room 203 (J Henry Schroeder Boardroom) in the library
• Wednesday, February 13 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 102 in the Koch Center for Engineering and Science

Submitted by Frances Renschler fr25@evansville.edu 

Come to Carson Center anytime today between 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. for a chance to win one of three Echo Dots and wireless speakers. We need to reach 200 Career Day attendees to activate the drawing, so come along and bring your friends.

1. Show up.
2. Swipe your ID and get a name tag.
3. Network with 100+ employers.

Registered employers are listed on Handshake. Check 'em out!

Submitted by Alison Morris-McDonald am268@evansville.edu

Join the Newman Club this Tuesday, February 12, at 8:00 p.m. in Neu Chapel to celebrate a Catholic Mass! Fr. Raab will be the celebrant. All are welcome!

Submitted by Michaela Kunkler mk305@evansville.edu

I-House South Korea is this Wednesday, February 13, at 7:00 p.m. on the second floor of Ridgway University Center. Min Hyomin, an exchange student from South Korea, will be making a presentation about her country. She is a psychology major back home. She loves UE and her favorite part is the diversity on campus. She has many hobbies and learning how to play different instruments is one of them. She will be sharing more about herself and her culture at I-House South Korea.

You will also have an opportunity to win a prize if you bring a friend who hasn't been to an I-House before!

Submitted by Megan Sicard ms331@evansville.edu

Join the Newman Club this Wednesday, February 13, at 5:00 p.m. for our weekly dinner and discussion. This week's topic is the source and summit of our faith - the Eucharist. Fr. Mike Schmitz will explain the intimate love of God through the Eucharist. All are welcome!

Submitted by Michaela Kunkler mk305@evansville.edu

Wanting to practice Spanish? Join associate professor of Spanish Diana Rodríguez Quevedo for lunch, and chat about different topics in Spanish on Wednesdays from noon-1:00 p.m. in the Starbuck’s café area in Ridgway University Center. All levels of Spanish welcome. The next Lunch Charlas is this Wednesday, February 13.

Please contact Professor Rodríguez Quevedo at dr130@evansville.edu if you have any questions. ¡Ahí nos vemos!

The 2019 Health and Fitness Fair will be held in the Fitness Center gym on Thursday, February 14, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Win prizes, free giveaways and visit local businesses (Body Works Massage, Vertical Excape, Club Pilates, Ultimate Fit, etc.).

Submitted by Lori Adams la87@evansville.edu

Want to make an impact on environmental sustainability, but need funds to get your ideas off the ground? Submit a proposal for UE’s Environmental Sustainability Challenge to have your projects considered for funding from the Green Fund.

Submission deadline: February 20.

The Green Fund began with a $25,000 environmental sustainability grant from Siemens, and additional funds may be generated through fundraising or savings gained through successful Environmental Sustainability Challenge projects.
Learn more about the challenge and submit a proposal online here.

Inaugural Challenge Winner:
The battery operated golf cart proposed as the winning submission to the inaugural Environmental Sustainability Challenge in Spring 2018 is now on campus and in use by UE Recycling. Learn more and see photos on the UE website.

Submitted by: UE's Environmental Sustainability Committee

Born in the early 20th century in Detroit, Michigan, Ralph Bunche became a world-renowned diplomat for the United Nations, winning the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the 1949 Armistice Agreements in the Middle East. Known for his patience and optimism, he continued to negotiate peaceful settlements through his rise to the rank of under-secretary-general for the U.N., while also contributing to the civil rights struggle back home. Bunche died in 1971 in New York City.

In 1950, Ralph Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and four Arab states. He was the first African American and person of color to receive the award.

Initially tasked in 1947 to assist mediator Count Folke Bernadotte of Sweden, Bunche took over talks on the island of Rhodes after Bernadotte was killed in a September 1948 terrorist attack. The long negotiation process was defined by the diplomat's willingness to meet with both sides and be meticulous, calm and patient about getting parties to sit with each other and find ways to compromise.

Bunche served an important role in the founding of the United Nations. He was an adviser to the U.S. delegation at the 1945 San Francisco Conference, helping to draft Chapters XI and XII of the United Nations Charter. Bunche then joined the U.N. Secretariat in 1946 as director of the Trusteeship Division, giving him responsibility for overseeing the administration of the U.N. Trust Territories as they progressed toward self-government and independence.

Prominently involved in social activism by the 1930s, Ralph Bunche was among the group of African-American intellectuals coined the "Young Turks" by W.E.B. Du Bois. His integrationist beliefs were adopted by Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in the 1950s.

Bunche later joined King for the 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March. He also served on the board of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for more than two decades.

In 1949, U.S. President Harry Truman offered Bunche the position of assistant secretary of state, but the U.N. mediator turned him down, saying he did not want to subject his children to the segregationist policies that still ruled the nation's capital. Bunche also reportedly turned down an offer from President John Kennedy to become secretary of state.

After suffering from a number of ailments, including kidney and heart disease, Bunche died in New York City on December 9, 1971. Over his career he'd received more than four dozen honorary doctorates and many other accolades, including the U.S. Medal of Freedom from President Kennedy.

Remembered for his contributions to academia and world affairs, the diplomat has been honored with the creation of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA and the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. A book on his life, Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, by Brian Urquhart, was published in 1993 and later turned into a PBS documentary.

Submitted by Darrion Culler dc199@evansville.edu

Women of Color and Empowerment is selling Candy Grams for Valentine's Day. Tables will be set up in Ridgway University Center for students and faculty to purchase. Candy grams will be delivered on February 14.

Submitted by Lindsay Sullivan ls292@evansville.edu

The Eykamp Prize was established by Richard and Rita Eykamp in 2015 to honor Faculty Achievement at the University of Evansville. Recipients of the prize will receive a one-time award of $10,000 in recognition of extraordinary contributions to the University of Evansville as University Citizens. Examples of such contributions include deep and successful involvement in recruiting students; expanding the number, scope, and competitiveness of grant funding for their department; bringing positive public awareness to the University through scholarship, knowledge, and understanding of their discipline. Up to two prizes a year may be awarded.

Nominations for the Eykamp Award may come from any member of the University of Evansville Community. Nominees should be tenured or tenure-track faculty members at the University of Evansville who have not received the award in the previous five years. Nominations can be submitted in writing or via e-mail to Michael Austin, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost, by March 15, 2019. Nominations should include the name of the faculty member and a brief statement of the reasons that he or she is being nominated.

Recipients of the Eykamp Award will be selected by an Awards Committee, appointed by the EVPAA/Provost that includes members of the faculty and staff, academic administrators, and at least one member of the Board of Trustees. Awards will be announced and presented at the May Commencement Ceremony.

Previous Recipients: 2016 – Dr. Mark Valenzuela; 2017 – Dr. Lora Becker; 2018 – Dr. David Dwyer.

United Methodist students attending UE can apply for the 2019 United Methodist Scholarships at wwwgbhem.org/scholarshipapplication. 

United Methodist students attending United Methodist-related institutions can apply for 2019 United Methodist Scholarships from January 3-March 7 at www.gbhem.org/scholarshipapplication for 2019 scholarships.

Applying for individual scholarships now also makes you eligible for the United Methodist Allocation. You must apply now to be considered for both. Late applications will not be accepted. Scholarships range in value from $500 to $5,000. The average amount awarded is about $1,000.

Scholarship eligibility requirements:

•Incoming or current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors or graduate students at one of the United Methodist-related colleges or universities
•Member of any United Methodist Church for at least one year
•Minimum GPA of 2.5

Submitted by Trisha Hawkes th187@evansville.edu

The University of Evansville’s Computers in Science and Math (CiSM) project has been awarded a grant totaling $999,934 to fund scholarships for academically talented students with financial need majoring in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics, physics, or statistics and data science.

The project, funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, is led by UE faculty members Joyce Stamm, professor of biology; Angela Reisetter, associate professor of physics; Adam Salminen, associate professor of mathematics; and Sarah Wilson, assistant professor of chemistry.

The CiSM scholarships will be available beginning in the fall 2020 semester and will provide up to $10,000 per year for four years to two cohorts of seven or eight students. These students will be part of an interdisciplinary learning community established through an all-expenses paid bridge course during the summer before the freshman year, and maintained as the students live together in UE’s honors residence hall and enroll together in computational problem-solving courses. CiSM students will also receive summer research and conference attendance funds, and CiSM-specific academic advising, career preparation, and mentoring.

“This interdisciplinary cohort approach will prepare our students for a real work setting, where biologists and mathematicians may work alongside chemists and physicists toward a common goal,” said Stamm. “The interpersonal skills developed from living and working together are just as, if not more, important than the technical skills gained through coursework. It allows them to learn to speak the same language.” 

Reisetter added, “Computational problem-solving skills are not currently emphasized in UE’s math and science curriculum, so we’re particularly excited to develop additional talents in our students, which will translate into broader career opportunities and workplace success upon graduation.”

To develop these skills, the project will introduce a scaffolded curriculum with four interdisciplinary computational problem-solving courses. The first three courses will focus on the power of computational and data visualization skills in the sciences, and introduce students to interesting data-centric scientific projects. The fourth course will be part of the UE ChangeLab program and will pair student and faculty teams with local business or nonprofit clients. Students will work with the clients to solve a problem involving experimental design, data collection, and/or data analysis. Because these courses will be open to all math and science majors at UE, the CiSM project will have impact beyond the scholarship recipients.

“The digital revolution has allowed scientists and businesses to collect vast quantities of data,” said Salminen. “Marketing firms, educators, and sports teams have gleaned knowledge and insights from this data for application to business techniques for many years. Of particular importance here is the growing need of these skills in the sciences.”

Ying Shang, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, was the keynote speaker at the Chinese New Year celebration dinner hosted by the Vincennes University Office of International Affairs on February 5 at the Green Activities Center. Shang gave a presentation titled, “Women/Minorities Leadership:  Cracking the Glass Ceiling and Bamboo Ceiling.”  The event was open to the public and was also attended by Michael Austin, UE executive vice president of academic affairs and provost.

University faculty and staff can now claim their complimentary pair of tickets for this week's Men's Basketball upcoming games. Wednesday tip-off is at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Women's Basketball will tip-off Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday at 11:00 a.m. inside the Meeks Family Fieldhouse. Tickets for WBB are granted upon entry. *Photo ID required.

Submitted by Jake Hill jh690@evansville.edu