Are you looking to further your leadership experience? Would you like to participate first-hand in event planning? Students in Leadership (SIL) is having a call-out meeting this Wednesday, January 25, at 4 p.m. in Room 72, Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. SIL is an event planning and leadership organization that coordinates two or more events a year. In the fall, they planned and hosted an Etiquette Reception, and this semester they are looking for new members to help plan spring events. Grab a friend and join them Wednesday to hear all about the ideas for this upcoming semester. They hope to see you there! If you are unable to make it, please email Rebecca Kish at rk105@evansville.edu  
 

Join us this week for I-House: Tajikistan, hosted by student Suhrob Muratov. Bring your friends to enjoy the presentation and complimentary cookies, this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on the second floor of Ridgway University Center in the Class of 1959 Gallery.

 

Are you a runner or interested in starting to run? Are you interested in training for a mini marathon(13.1 miles)? If so, tie up your running shoes and join TEAM UE for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and Mini -Marathon. No matter your level of running - novice, intermediate, or advanced – there is a training schedule for you! A number of UE students, faculty  and staff are interested in training for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and Mini-Marathon in Louisville Ky., on Saturday, April 28. The Fitness Center is formalizing a program for interested runners. Take the challenge and become a part of Team UE at the Kentucky Derby Mini–Marathon! Join Team UE for an informational meeting on January 26  at 5:00 p.m. in the Fitness Center lobby. For more information you can visit the following link www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com or contact Jeff Chestnut or Angie Stauber at ext 2622

UE faculty, staff, students, and community are invited to attend the free (bring your lunch) Lunch & Learn session on Wednesday, February 8, from noon–12:50 p.m. in Eykamp 253, Ridgway University Center. The session will be presented by Centennial Wealth Advisory. The discussion will cover benefits and drawbacks of long-term care insurance, and cover the Indiana Long-Term Care Partnership, which allows people to keep more of their assets. Please contact Judy Caldwell at jc313@evansville.edu if you have questions. This event is sponsored by the Center for Adult Education.
 

The next in the series of Crick Lectures in Cognitive and Neural Sciences is set for February 8 from 4-5 p.m. in Room 100 (Vectren Lecture Hall) in Koch Center. The speaker will be Dr. Damani N. Bryant, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at Oregon Health & Science University. He will be discussing "Mechanisms of Sexually Dimorphic Estradiol Neuroprotection." The lecture is free and open to the public.

Biological sex has historically been one of the most overlooked aspects of Neuroscience. It has become clear in recent years that sex profoundly alters the way the brain responds to its environment. For example, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Stroke varies as a function of sex and estrogen status. Pre-menopausal women enjoy better protection from AD and Stroke than men, implying that estrogen is neuroprotective.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was designed to determine whether hormone replacement was beneficial to women. Surprisingly, WHI found no benefit to estrogen replacement. However, there are several caveats associated with the design of WHI that preclude the broad generalization of its findings. Misinterpretation of the WHI findings thus represents a critical barrier to advancing our understanding of estradiol’s effects in the brain, which are very complex and are not completely understood. Given the documented impact of sex on vulnerability to insult, it is reasonable to postulate that sex also modifies the brain’s response to other stimuli, such as the neuroprotective steroid 17β-estradiol (E2).

To address this issue, male and female rat neurons are cultured separately and used as an experimental model system to examine biochemical responses to E2. Male neurons show a less robust response to estradiol than female neurons. The most important question is “Why is E2 signaling sexually dimorphic?” This sex difference may be a consequence of the perinatal Testosterone surge, which “Organizes” the male brain or it may be a consequence of genetic sex (XX vs XY). Future studies will address this issue.

The Office of Human Resources is finishing up its processing of W-2’s, which will be issued to employees no later than January 31.  You can choose one of two options to receive your W-2:
• Electronic W-2 – If you provide your consent, you will receive an e-mail notification via AceNotes Extra that your W-2 is ready to view/print on WebAdvisor.
• Paper W-2 – If you prefer, you can continue to receive a paper W-2 in the mail, as you have in the past.

Among the advantages of electronic W-2’s: (1) you will have access to your W-2 a couple days earlier than a paper copy that is mailed to your home (2) you can print as many copies of the W-2 as you need.  The electronic W-2 is IRS compliant and can be submitted with your tax return.  To take advantage of the electronic W-2 option, you must log onto WebAdvisor and select the option “W-2 Electronic Consent”.  Click the first radio button to give your consent.   You will not receive paper W-2 in the mail if you select the electronic W-2 option.  If you choose to withhold your consent to view/print your online W-2, a paper copy will be prepared and mailed to you at your home address.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Gloria Spencer at ext. 2159.  
 

Do you need information about Kim Jong-Un’s rise to power in North Korea, or China’s economic growth for the past several years, or current food safety concerns near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan? Asia-Studies Full-Text Online is an excellent resource for reports, working papers, print and e-journals dealing with these issues. It covers business, economics, government, politics, and social sciences related to Asia-Pacific countries.

Examples of specific subject coverage include finance, trade, environment, human resources development, best practices in government, fisheries, tourism, education and women's studies to name a few. Over 15,000 studies are included in the database which is updated weekly; the average study is 50 pages long and includes statistics, research, analysis, and forecasts. 

Country coverage is available. The 55 countries covered by the database include all of Asia from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Central Asian republics on east through India, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Explore Asia-Studies Full-Text Online. Contact Kathy Bartelt (kb4@evansville.edu) or Shane White (sw69@evansville.edu) with questions or comments.
 

File the 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov to apply for federal, state, and University need-based financial aid. This includes grants, federal student loans, and federal work-study. The 2012-13 FAFSA establishes aid eligibility for fall 2012 through summer 2013.

Filing by March 10 is mandatory for Indiana residents and highly beneficial for all students. Questions regarding the FAFSA should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at 812-488-2364, 800-424-8634 or financialaid@evansville.edu

Beginning February 1: Applicants may be prompted, when completing the FAFSA online, to directly transfer parent and/or student IRS tax information to their FAFSAs. Federal income tax returns for 2011 must have been filed electronically for approximately 10-14 days to use this tool. The UE Office of Financial Aid recommends that those eligible use this tool to increase the accuracy of the FAFSA data and potentially reduce the documentation requirements due to selection for “verification.”

A reminder - the MESCON 2012 deadlines are approaching! The abstract deadline is January 27, and the paper deadline is March 2. The conference is set for Saturday,  March 24.

Registration for the conference on line at csserver.evansville.edu/mescon  

The Department of Creative Writing announces the Major George Cowgill and Mrs. Mary Cowgill Award in Creative Writing.

George and Mary Cowgill believed in the power of a good education and the potential freedom and opportunity higher education could provide. Though he achieved much in his life, often through determination and a knack for being in the right place at the right time, Mr. Cowgill felt he could have achieved more if he had earned a college degree and instilled this belief in his sons. Mrs. Cowgill taught English for many years and continued her own education, eventually becoming a high school guidance counselor, where she helped many students in their search for the right college. A number of those students attended the University of Evansville, including her son Michael (BFA, creative writing, ’95). In her retirement, she volunteered at St. Gerard, a high school for pregnant teenagers in St. Augustine, Fla.

Mr. and Mrs. Cowgill both worked hard and made sacrifices so their sons could attend college. Though creative writing wasn’t their first choice of major, they supported Michael’s choice both at UE and later at the graduate level at George Mason University. They were lifelong readers and considered writing an honorable profession. Michael honors their spirit and memories with this gift to the Department of Creative Writing.

DEADLINE: Entries MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, AT 4:00 P.M.  No late manuscripts will be accepted.

One $1000 prize will be awarded for the best story

ELIGIBILITY:  Any UE writing major or minor.

ENTRIES:  Maximum 15 pages of short fiction.

FORMAT:  All entries are to be typed on one side of 8 ½ x 11 sheets, double-spaced.  Each is to have a title, and pages are to be numbered.  The writer’s name is not to appear on the work, but each submission is to have an attached (stapled) cover page (8 ½ x 11) listing: the name of the award (“The Cowgill Award), the genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, academic essay), the title, author, and the UE ID number.  PLEASE NOTE: NO SUBMISSIONS WILL BE RETURNED.

Michael Cowgill will award the prize at the Creative Writing Coffee Hour on April 19 at 4 p.m. in Eykamp 253, Ridgway University Center.  All are welcome to attend.

The deadline to enter the UE Student Writing Contest for the Virginia Lowell Grabill Writing Awards and the George Klinger Memorial Prize for Excellence in Writing is February 17. Entries must be submitted to Kathy Martyn, administrative assistant for Departments of English and Creative Writing, in Room 320, Olmsted Hall. THEY MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012, AT 4:00 P.M.  No late manuscripts will be accepted.

Grabill Awards
Four $100 first prizes will be awarded for the best (1) Poem; (2) Short Story; (3) Creative Non-Fiction Essay; and (4) Academic Essay.  Second and third prizes of $75 and $50 respectively will be awarded in each category.  In each category a student will receive only the highest prize for which he or she is eligible.

Anyone who is or has been a University of Evansville student at any time between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 is eligible to submit a work in any category.

For the Poetry Category:  a poem of at least 10 lines.  Three may be entered separately.  For the Short Story Category:  a short story of at least 5 pages.  Two may be entered separately.  For the Creative Non-Fiction Essay category: a creative essay of at least 5 pages.  Two may be entered separately.  For the Academic Essay:  an expository research paper of at least 8 pages. Two may be entered separately. 

Klinger Prize
Two prizes will be awarded in the amount of $500 each, one for creative writing (poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction) and one for academic writing.

Any senior University of Evansville student is eligible for this prize.

Entries in the Poetry category should be a poem of at least 10 lines. Three may be entered separately. For Short Stories:  a short story of at least 5 pages.  Two may be entered separately. For Creative Non-Fiction: a creative essay of at least 5 pages. Two may be entered separately. For Academic Essays: an expository research or analysis paper of at least 8 pages. Two may be entered separately.

All entries are to be typed on one side of 8 ½ x 11 sheets, double-spaced. Each is to have a title, and pages are to be numbered. The writer’s name is not to appear on the work, but each submission is to have an attached (stapled) cover page (8 ½ x 11) listing: the genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, academic essay), the title, author, the UE ID number, class rank, and the name of any teacher who has read or heard the work. PLEASE NOTE: NO SUBMISSIONS WILL BE RETURNED.

Prizes for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction will be awarded at the Creative Writing Coffee Hour on April 19 at 4 p.m. in Eykamp 253, Ridgway University Center.  All are welcome to attend.  Prizes for academic writing will be given at an English Department event to be announced at a later date.

Seniors will be entered automatically in both the Grabill and Klinger contests.

If in the opinion of the judges, entries in one or more categories are too few or not of satisfactory quality to merit recognition, one or more prizes may not be awarded.  All entries are judged “blindly” (i.e. anonymously.) Please note that all entries in the Poetry, Short Story, and Creative Non-Fiction categories will be judged by the Department of Creative Writing Faculty and may be considered for publication in The Evansville Review and/or The Ohio River Review.  All entries for the Academic Essay Category will be judged by the Department of English Faculty.
 

The Office of Admission needs current UE students who live in the residence halls to host prospective high school seniors for Road Trip February 17-19. If you are available, you can volunteer by either clicking this link, emailing Ashley Jackson (aj53@evansville.edu) or Jess Sandlin (js621@evansville.edu), or stopping by the Office of Admission (OH 104). Also, Admission Ambassadors will be stationed outside Café Court from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on January 23-27 for sign-ups. We are planning to have a great turnout so the more volunteers, the better!

Students who earned Dean’s List status for Autumn Semester 2011 are recognized in an exhibit at UE Libraries in entry lobby.  Students merit the honor of being named to the Dean’s List at the conclusion of each semester by earning a semester grade point average of 3.5 on a four point scale while carrying a full academic course load of at least 12 hours excluding Pass/Fail courses.  Exhibit continues through February 3.

RA applications are available in all residence hall offices as well as the Office of Residence Life until Wednesday, January 25. Applications and recommendation forms are due back to the Office of Residence Life by Thursday January 26 at 5 p.m. If you have questions, please contact Mika Eubank at me63@evansville.edu

The Office of Annual Giving is looking to hire several highly motivated and enthusiastic students to be student callers for the 2012 Spring Phonathon. Student callers contact UE alumni and friends to raise money for student scholarships.  This is great experience and perfect for building a resume!

Spring Phonathon will be held Monday February 6th through Thursday March 1st in Hyde Hall 1. Calling sessions will be Monday through Thursday from 6-8 p.m.  A minimum of 2 sessions required per week.  Pay is $8.25 per hour, and additional cash incentives and giveaways may be earned.  There will be a training session held for new callers, an on-site coordinator always available to assist with calls and all the calls have lead-ins – no “cold calls”!

If you are interested in applying for a Phonathon position, please call Jennifer Jacobs at (812) 488-2021 or jj130@evansville.edu.  

The University of Evansville Department of Theatre has direct connections to two films featured at this year’s world-renowned Sundance Film Festival. 1989 graduate Carrie Preston’s feature film and Evansville native Russell Harbaugh’s short film will both open this weekend in Park City, Utah.

Carrie Preston, star of The Good Wife (Elsbeth Tascioni) and True Blood (Arlene Fowler), directed and produced That’s What She Said, a film about a big date, a bitter best friend, and a total stranger who can’t stop talking about her private parts. With sharp writing and strong comedic performances by Emmy Award-winner Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis, and Alia Shawkat, That’s What She Said is a brazen and honest look at friendship, love, and the lies we tell ourselves along the way. Preston’s film is one of 27 selected feature films out of 4,000 submissions and is part of the NEXT premiere series, which hosts films that stretch limited resources to create impactful art and embody the spirit of independent filmmaking.

Son of UE Theatre professor Patti McCrory, director and screenwriter Russell Harbaugh’s short film Rolling on the Floor Laughing is one of 64 short films selected from a record 7,675 submissions. The film features two grown brothers who have returned home for the birthday of their widowed mother, only to find themselves competing with a strange man for her affection. The film not only showcases Harbaugh’s work, but also the work of University of Evansville Theatre alumni Cole McCarty ’10 as the production designer, and actors Stephen Plunkett ’03, Christopher Ryan Grant ’05, and Grace Heid ’04. To get more background information, check out Harbaugh’s blog on the Huffington Post Sundance Diaires, like their Facebook page, and view the official trailer.

The Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through its programs, such as the Film Festival, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists form the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Sundance Festival will run January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.

For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Evansville women's soccer team has earned the Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The award is given to schools that compile team grade point averages of 3.0 or better in the most recent academic year. Coached by Krista McKendree, the Aces recorded a 3.25 team GPA in 2010-11 and were honored at halftime of the men’s basketball game on Jan. 18, along with nine other UE teams that earned academic awards from their national associations this past year.

University of Evansville junior Colt Ryan has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.

Ryan, who is tied for fifth in the nation in scoring, averaged 29.5 points per game in two contests over the last week.  Ryan began the week with a career-best 39-point performance in a win over Bradley last Wednesday.

The Batesville, Ind. native also set career marks with 12 field goals and 8 three-pointers while tying his career best with nine rebounds.  In the first half, Ryan outscored the full Bradley team by a 25-24 margin. 

In Saturday’s win over Illinois State, Ryan led all players with 20 points marking his seventh 20-point performance in nine MVC games this season.  He hit six field goals, two three-pointers and six free throws.

For the week, Ryan averaged 29.5 PPG, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per contests.  His efforts helped the Aces to a perfect 2-0 week as they enter the second half of Valley play in a tie for third place in the league.

This marks the second honor of the season for Ryan and the third of his career.  He also won Player of the Week honors in the opening week of the 2011-12 season and in December of 2010.