The Delta variant of COVID-19 is rapidly circulating across the nation, causing a rise in cases at the local, state, and national levels. Throughout the pandemic, the University of Evansville has adhered to the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On Tuesday, the CDC provided updated guidelines for masks, recommending that fully vaccinated individuals wear masks in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.

Effective Monday, August 2, masks will be required indoors on our campus (including the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences), regardless of vaccination status. We will also require social distancing of at least three feet. This policy will remain in force until public health data and vaccine status indicate that face coverings are no longer necessary.

We continue to encourage our campus community to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Current data shows that 97.9% of cases, 98.6% of hospitalizations and 98.2% of deaths occur among unvaccinated individuals. The vaccination rate of our campus community will be a primary factor in determining when it will be safe to remove or modify the mask mandate. You can register to make a vaccine appointment with local healthcare facilities and retailers.

Our task force will continue to closely monitor the situation and update the campus as decisions are made. We also ask you to remain vigilant and take protective measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19. We are very thankful for your patience and understanding as we continue to weather this pandemic together, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning students in just a few weeks. 

Save the Date for the UE Majors and Minors Fair on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in Eykamp Hall.

Faculty, students, and alumni along with campus support teams will provide information about their discipline, professional outcomes, education programs, academic support, social innovation, and much more.

Watch for additional information coming soon. Contact Paula Heldt at ph28@evansville.edu or 812-488-2479 with questions.

Our annual Fall Campus Community Cookout was scheduled following the Fall Conference on Tuesday, August 17, at 4:30 PM (CDT). The decision to host a modified Fall Campus Community Cookout was based on the COVID-19 protocols in place at that time including specific recommendations from the Coronavirus Task Force, such as an employee-only event, required registration, and a staggered serving line.

Given new guidelines from the CDC and the updated University policy requiring masks and social distancing of at least three feet, the decision has been made to cancel the annual Fall Campus Community Cookout as an extra precaution in ensuring our best efforts to keep our campus community safe and in taking protective measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The Fall Campus Community Cookout is an annual tradition for our University family, and there is every hope that our UE community – and their families – will be able to come together to in Fall 2022 to enjoy food, fellowship, and friendships. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

For questions, please contact Alexandra Amick or Patti Lippert in the Office of the President, at (812) 488-2151 or ex.t 2151.

Please join us in a reception honoring Dr. Michael Roscoe on Thursday, August 5, 2021 from 10am-11am in the Stone Center Lobby/Atrium. Mike was the founding Director of the University of Evansville Physician Assistant Program, which under his guidance, recently achieved full continued accreditation. Please make plans to join us as we wish him well on his next professional endeavor.

Beginning Tuesday, July 27th, Johnson Controls will be on campus conducting the annual fire alarm system testing. As each building is tested, the alarm will intermittently sound between the hours of 7:30AM-5PM. Facilities and Public Safety will know on a daily basis the buildings being tested, and will be notified as the technicians move from building to building. Testing will be completed by Thursday, August 5th.

If you have any concerns, please contact the Facilities Department at ext. 2775.

Walayet A. Khan, Professor of Finance, will participate in the upcoming virtual 2021 annual World Finance Conference as the discussant, chair, and presenter. The papers to be presented are as follows:

1. Institutional Settings and Dividend Policy in Emerging Markets

Using a comprehensive time series and cross- sectional sample covering 25 emerging markets countries from 2001 through 2017, we investigate the effect of shareholder protection, creditor protection, and other country-level governance variables (e.g., control of corruption and rule of law) on the dividend policies of firms.

2. Impact of Global Residential Real Estate on Portfolio Diversification

Our focus is specifically on residential real estate, unlike previous literature where the emphasis is on REITs or commercial real estate. Using a sample from 1998 to 2008, we examine whether the inclusion of international real estate positively affected stock portfolio diversification. We analyzed whether US stocks plus international real estate portfolios dominated the portfolio of US stocks and international stocks.

3. Efficiency Performance and the Insolvency Risk for Takaful Insurance Firms: Evidence from the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

We utilize the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the distance-to-default concept (Z-score) to examine the efficiency performance and the insolvency risk (IR) of 54 Takaful firms (TFs- Islamic insurance firms) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Given the increasing interest and growth in the Takaful industry, an in-depth analysis of efficiency performance and insolvency risk offers value to various stakeholders, including conventional and Takaful firms, policymakers, regulators, analysts, and investors

Tiffany Griffith, Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing and Director of Composition, has edited a composition textbook that will be available this fall from Kendall Hunt Publishing Company. The book, An Introduction to College Writing, covers writing basics such as reading and writing critically, the writing process, paragraph development, and essay structure.

It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of our dear friend, alumna and ZTA sister, Melissa (Missy) Guthrie Wagler ‘04.

Missy was currently serving as the communications chair for the Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter and was a member of the Harlaxton Society Board of Directors. She was recognized with the Young Alumna Award in 2011 for her personal and professional achievements and service. She was also an active UE Connect member sharing her career experiences with UE students, and served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2011-2016.

She leaves behind her husband and fellow alumnus, Derrick Wagler ’00 and “the three best little boys in the world.” Derrick has requested space at this time so they may grieve as a family. Funeral arrangements will be communicated to friends and family in the next few days.

Missy will be sincerely missed by her UE family.