Wish UE a happy 165th birthday at UE's Purple Birthday Party! Stop by Ridgway University Center today - Friday, February 15 - from 7:00-8:30 p.m., next to the information desk, for fun and party games! Grab your piece of purple cake and purple punch and wish UE a happy birthday. Roadtrippers are welcome!

The Office of Admission will be welcoming around 60 families on Monday for a Purple Visit Day event. They will be dining around noon in Café Court, sitting in on classes, meeting with departments, and touring campus. Please help us welcome these families to campus.

The Office of Admission will be hosting Road Trip this Friday, February 15 through Sunday, February 17. Thank you to everyone that has volunteered to assist with the events and hosting this weekend.

We have many activities scheduled for the Road Trippers and would like to invite current UE students to take part in the fun. The following activities are open to both Road Trippers and Current Students:

Friday, February 15
7:15-8:15 
Café Court
UE Nerd Wars: Ultimate Trivia

7:30-11:30
Class of 1959 Gallery, second floor of Ridgway University Center
Game Station

10:00-Midnight
Café Court
Karaoke

Saturday, February 16
2:15-5:00 p.m.
Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Buses will leave at 2:00) *

2:30-4:30 p.m.
Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science (Buses will leave at 2:15)

5:00- 8:00 p.m.
Children’s Museum of Evansville (CMOE) (buses will start running at 5:00 p.m.)*

7:00-8:00 p.m.
Wheeler Concert Hall
Comedian- sponsored by the Student Activities Board

7:00-10:00
Class of 1959 Gallery, second floor of Ridgway University Center
Game Station

10:15-Midnight
Carson Center, Meeks Family Fieldhouse, Large Gym
Hypnotist- sponsored by the Admission Ambassadors and the Student Government Association)

Midnight
Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center
Midnight Movie -  Incredibles 2

*Indicates activity is off campus. Buses will leave from Walnut Street outside Ridgway University Center

Please help us welcome around 240 Road Trippers to campus this weekend! Enjoy the weekend and Go Road Trip!

Registration deadline is TODAY for the presidential inauguration reception and ceremony. Register online here. 

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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 communiity 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 communiity 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. 

Do you want to sharpen your personal image? Do you want to learn how to sound like a leader? Do you want to bolster your self-confidence? Then come join PRIDE on February 18 at 9:00 p.m. in Room 271 in the Schroeder School of Business Building for a presentation titled "Advertising Yourself: Creating A Professional Image." The presentation will cover improving written communication skills, creating a personal brand, and the strengthening of speaking skills with the ultimate goals of encouraging professionalism and leadership. All are welcome and we encourage you to bring your friends to this informative presentation.

Submitted by uepride@gmail.com

The UE Department of Art and the UE Friends of Art invite you to attend the "Let's Create with Alcohol Inks" workshop led by Suzanne Farney. The workshop is March 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Melvin Peterson Gallery. The cost is $35. Seating is limited. Please register by March 4 to Joyce Powell at j.powell0159@gmail.com or 812-455-0159.

Submitted by Brooksie Smith bs267@evansville.edu

Join us Friday, February 15, at 3:00 p.m. in Room 173 in the Schroeder School of Business Building for the February ECTE Lectures on Teaching and Learning. This month’s topic is: “Integrating Humor in the Classroom” presented by Diana Rodriguez Quevedo, associate professor of Spanish.

Rodriguez Quevedo will present on how strategic use of humor in the classroom can serve to create a safe and fun learning environment and to engage students by lowering their inhibition and promoting their participation. She will discuss various ways to incorporate humor in the classroom and share a variety of activities that involve humor to develop different communication skills.

We look forward to seeing you for good conversations about good teaching!

Submitted by Eykamp Center for Teaching Excellence ecte@evansville.edu

The University of Evansville Theatre proudly presents Stefanie Zadravec's Colony Collapse. Set against the present-day plagues of meth addiction, missing children, and a failing ecology, this edgy new play explores the complex dynamics of a highly dysfunctional family and their attempts to unearth a second chance in a wounded America. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on March 1 and 2 and at 2:00 p.m. on March 3 in Shanklin Theatre.

Evansville native and UE Theatre alumna Lori Wolter Hudson '05 guest-directs Colony Collapse. Wolter Hudson is the artistic director of the New Harmony Project. John Fujisawa, a senior from Los Alamitos, Calif., is the scenic designer; Gillian Herold, a junior from Spokane, Wash., is the costume designer; Professor Stephen Boulmetis serves as the lighting designer; Sidney McCarty, a junior from Clarksville, Tenn., is the sound designer; professor of theatre Diane Brewer serves as the dramaturg; assistant professor Janel Miley serves as the vocal coach; Blake Elliott, a junior from Cypress, Texas, is the stage manager; and Mason Wilhite, a senior from San Antonio, Texas, is the technical director.

The cast features first-year student Zachary Scalzitti, from Saint John, Ind., as Jason; senior Alexi Lewis, from Seattle, Wash., as Julia; sophomore Jackson Burnham, from Houston, Texas, as Mark; first-year student Kyla Clift, from Arlington, Texas, as Nicky; first-year student Lillie Kolich, from Albuquerque, NM., as The Girl; sophomore Evan Lawson, from Arvada, Colo., as Randy Martin; first-year student Josh Gelman, from Denver, Colo., as Bill Mitchell, and ensemble members include senior Amanda Suggs, from Cedar Park, Texas, sophomore Jack Russell, from Montgomery, Texas, first-year student Cassidy Rogers, from College Station, Texas, first-year student Bailey Lomax, from Great Falls, Mont., and senior Matt McDonald, from Carmel, Ind.

Ticket prices are $18 for adults and $16 for senior adults, students, and UE faculty and staff. UE students may obtain one free student rush ticket beginning at noon on the day of the performance they wish to attend. The UE Theatre Society will host a Pre-Play Chat at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 23. All are welcome to attend the presentation and discussion with a student designer about their process on the production.

Tickets may be purchased by calling 812-488-2031, Monday through Friday, noon to 5:00 p.m.

The UE Bookstore will be offering 15% OFF all purchases of clothing and gift items in the store on Saturday, February 16, as part of Road Trip Saturday. Stop in and save on some UE gear!

Submitted by Doug Gustwiller dg57@evansville.edu

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 $15.00 for adults, $10.00 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 

This weekend on Sunday, February 17, the Newman Club will be hosting an additional Sunday Mass at 7:00 a.m. to send our Road Trip travelers off! The mass will only last 30 minutes - come celebrate before you leave campus and experience our Newman atmosphere! The celebrant will be Father Steve. All are welcome to come join us bright and early this Sunday to pray!

This mass is in addition to the normal Sunday Mass, which will still be held at 1:00 p.m. that afternoon!

Submitted by Sam Wallisch sw265@evansville.edu  

Musical Madness performances are planned for February 15 and February 16 at 8:30 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center. Admission is $5. This year’s show features five musical love stories produced by our very own Greek Life! Each musical is full of goofing UE humor and portrays a love story that is familiar to us all. They are all based on movies like High School Musical, Shrek, and Mamma Mia! All of the funds raised will go to the Evansville Rescue Mission and I promise the shows and the cause are much worth the entry fee of $5!

Submitted by Jess Rollins jr273@evansville.edu 

The UE Community is invited to an Oscar watch party - “Rooting for Rami” – on Sunday, February 24. The event is a celebration of the Academy Award nomination received by UE alumnus Rami Malek ’03 for his leading role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. The party will be at the Sunset Ballroom, CityView at Sterling Square, located at 210 North Fulton Avenue in Evansville. Walk the carpet is at 6:00 p.m., with the live broadcast beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Admission is $100 per person and there are only 100 tickets available. All proceeds go to the John David Lutz Theatre Lab opening in Fall of 2019.

Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members will be in attendance and it’s open to the public.

Black-tie optional. There will be a cash bar.

You can register for the event online and you can learn more about the event on Facebook.

Representatives from the US Postal Service will be on campus processing passports on Friday, February 15, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the Harlaxton Room in the Schroeder School of Business Building! If you bring all the required documents, you can get your passport photos taken and your passport processed at this event right here on campus. You can also bring your current passport to be renewed at this event.

Here is what you will need to bring to the event in order to get your passport processed:

• Photo identification: US driver’s license, and if not from Indiana, a credit or debit card.
• Proof of citizenship: Original or certified copy of long form birth or citizenship certificate.
• Passport application: Available online at travel.state.gov, at the study abroad office, or at this event.
• Payments: Two checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for $110 to the US Department of State and for $30 to the USPS.
• Photos on site: Passport photos can be taken during the event for an additional $15 to the USPS.

All members of the UE community - faculty, staff, and students - are welcome to come to this event! Feel free to contact Kaylynn Carver in the study abroad office at kc205@evansville.edu or 812-488-2039 for more information about the event or requirements.

Submitted by Kaylynn Carver kc205@evansville.edu

There will be a Catholic Mass celebrated this Sunday at 1:00 pm in Neu Chapel on campus. Father Chris Forler will be the celebrant. All are welcome!

Submitted by Sam Wallisch sw265@evansville.edu

The Global Scholars Program offers support for faculty engaged in scholarship or curriculum development that helps prepare our students and community for global leadership, citizenry, and success. The Global Scholars Program is administered by the Center for Innovation and Change and is made possible by the John H. Schroeder Global Scholar Endowed Fund. Current funding will support 3-4 awards of up to $4000 each. Awards may be used for travel, research materials, conference fees, and/or other related expenses.

The deadline for full consideration is March 18, by 5:00 p.m.

Visit the Global Scholars webpage for more details.

Submitted by Cindy Kelley ck116@evansville.edu 

PRIDE is looking for student performers for their annual drag show!! This year's drag show is April 6 at 7:00 p.m. Each person/group can perform up to two songs. We are also looking for people to MC this event! Please contact us at uepride@gmail.com if you are interested in performing/MCing/volunteering or would like more information!

Submitted by uepride@gmail.com

The University Wind Ensemble concert originally scheduled for today - February 19 - has been moved and will be part of a combined Wind Ensemble/Orchestra Concert on February 26 at the Preston Arts Center in Henderson, Kentucky.

Submitted by James Sullivan James Sullivan js820@evansville.edu

Passed in Congress and signed on August 30, 1890, the Second Morrill Act included the stipulation that African Americans were to be included in the United States Land-Grant University Higher Education System without discrimination.

The First Morrill Act, signed July 2, 1862, provided funding for the creation of land-grant colleges across the country. In many states, the colleges established under the 1862 Morrill Act excluded Black students; the 1890 Morrill Act was a direct response to this discrimination.

It further made provision that required states with separate colleges for Black and White citizens, to designate or establish a college to train Black students in agriculture, mechanical arts, and architecture as well. These Southern and Border States became known as the Negro Land-Grant Institutions and today as the 1890 Land-Grant Universities.

Though the 1890 Morrill Act required states with these dual segregated university systems to provide equal funding to Black and white institutions, the funding provided to land-grant historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) was often low and inequitable in comparison to the money given to white land-grant colleges. Black churches and white philanthropists usually provided the primary funding for these colleges and universities.

The 1890 land-grant system consists of the following 19 universities: Alabama A&M University, Alcorn State University, Central State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Lincoln University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, South Carolina State University, Southern University, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia State University and West Virginia State University.

Women’s Rights Awareness (WRA) will be hosting a presentation of The Vagina Monologues at the end of February, and auditions are Saturday, February 16 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.  in Room 142 in the Krannert Hall of Art and Music. The production is set for March 1 in Wheeler Concert Hall.

Any student and faculty member are welcome to audition and experience is not necessary. Please contact ms667@evansville.edu for information regarding the script and the scenes we will be using for the audition.

The Vagina Monologues is a series of monologues, written by Eve Ensler, that is performed globally every February to raise awareness of domestic abuse towards women. WRA will be donating profits from their production to Albion Fellows Bacon Center of Evansville. 

Submitted by Alyssa Lueken al267@evansville.edu

2019-20 Margery Florence Kahn Scholarship applications are now available.

It was the desire of the donor, Margery Florence Kahn, that her scholarship be awarded to "dedicated and conscientious students who exhibit a true passion for their chosen fields of study, and who, in the opinion of the members of the University of Evansville faculty, are likely to bring the same enthusiasm into the performance of their jobs or the practice of the professions which they will pursue following graduation."

All University of Evansville full-time undergraduate students who will be juniors or seniors in 2019-20 may apply. An essay of about 300 words must accompany the application, along with two to five faculty recommendation letters.

Applications and recommendation letters are available from the Student Financial Services in Room 106 in Olmsted Hall and should be returned by APRIL 15.

You may also request application materials by emailing th187@evansville.edu.

Questions may be sent via email or call 812-488-2364.

Submitted by Trisha Hawkes th187@evansville.edu

Students interested in living next year in Village housing should plan to attend an information meeting.

Information meetings will be Thursday, February 21, at 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Room 252, Ridgway University Center. During the information meetings, we will discuss how you can apply for Village housing for 2019-20.

If you have questions, please contact Residence Life or view our housing assignments flowchart – www.evansville.edu/residencelife/housingapplyreturn/whereWillYouLive.cfm.

Submitted by Brian Conner bc32@evansville.edu

The deadline to register a team for the Floor Hockey and Inner Tube Basketball League is this Friday. League play begins next week.

The deadline to register for the Singles Racquetball Tournament is this Friday, with the tournament being held this Saturday inside the Fitness Center at 2:00 p.m.

Contact Drew, intramural director, at ah519@evansville.edu with any questions.

Submitted by Drew Hawkins ah519@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

UE employees will be receiving a 2019 UE calendar this week with their office mail. Thank you for all you do for UE; please enjoy and display proudly! If you did not receive one or would like an additional one for your home or to share with family or friends, please contact Jennifer Calderone at jj130@evansville.edu or ext. 2021.

Happy New Year from the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

Submitted by Jennifer J Calderone jj130@evansville.edu

twiSTEM and UE are hosting the 7th annual Beauty of Engineering on March 9, from 7:45-11:15 a.m. This is an exploration opportunity for girls in grades 4 through 8.

The goal of the workshop is to help girls understand engineering and computer science. The workshop is executed in a rotation of activity stations staffed by professional women and college students in the fields of engineering and computer science.

The cost is $10 per participant and registration deadline is March 4, and is limited to the first 120 applicants.

To register your child, please visit our Eventbrite event: https://beautyofengineering2019.eventbrite.com.

If you have a group of girls that you want in the same class rotation, please register them on line together, as you can purchase multiple tickets at one time or if each parent is registering online individually, you can email us the list of the girls names and we'll group them together.

If you have questions, please email us at twistem.evv@gmail.com..

Submitted by Kimberly Higgins kh209@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 was one of 25 member institutions of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) selected to participate in CIC’s second annual Diversity, Civility, and the Liberal Arts Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 2–5. The event is designed to help faculty members and administrators address issues of diversity, civility, inclusion, and student unrest on campus more effectively.

Each institution will send a team of two faculty leaders and two senior administrators. Representing UE will be the University’s chief diversity officer LaNeeca Williams, dean of the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Science Ray Lutgring, department chair for philosophy and religion Valerie Stein, and associate professor of psychology Maggie Stevenson. Johnna Denning-Smith, UE director of grants and sponsored programs, facilitated the grant-writing process.

Each participating college will develop plans to incorporate the institute content into specific courses, advising and counseling services, and co-curricular activities at their institutions.

Participants for the 2019 institute were selected through a highly competitive application process.

According to CIC president Richard Ekman, “the volume, quality, and urgency of the proposals reflect the commitment of independent colleges and universities to promoting diversity and civility, not just on their campuses but across the nation.” 

The institute is supported by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

For more information, visit www.cic.edu/2019DiversityInstitute.

UE Athletics has teamed up with The Women’s Hospital to announce the first annual Ace Ace Baby Race.

A group of 15 babies will have a crawl race at halftime on Sunday, February 17, when the Purple Aces men’s basketball team faces UNI inside the Ford Center. Tip is at 3:00 p.m.

“We love giving back to the community and getting involved in family friendly events. When UE approached us about the idea of sponsoring a baby race during a game, we knew this would be a huge hit in the community, while also aligning with our mission and vision of serving women and their families,” Chris Ryan, CEO of The Women’s Hospital said.

The Women’s Hospital will be the game sponsor and will feature some fun giveaway items for fans as they enter the arena.

Sunday’s competition will feature 15 babies that were selected from The Women’s Hospital social media pages.

“The baby crawl was a promotion that I wanted to bring to the Aces as soon as I started. I got the idea from other Learfield IMG College properties, and it has been a lot of fun working with the marketing team at The Women’s Hospital,” Brandon McClish – GM Purple Aces Sports Properties said. “The half-time promotion will involve profiles for the contestants, officials, and our on-court emcee calling the action.”

Come to the UE women's basketball game this Friday at 6:00 p.m. at the Meeks Family Fieldhouse and purchase Girl Scout cookies in the lobby! This is our annual Pink Game supporting the fight against breast cancer, so be sure to wear pink to the game! The Boom Squad will also be performing throughout the night. Faculty, staff, and administrators receive two complimentary tickets to the game by showing their valid UE ID.

Submitted by Scott Peace sp166@evansville.edu