Pep and Vim is TODAY! We’re beyond excited to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of UE’s Annual Day of Giving with the campus. Please visit us at our Pep and Vim Headquarters, located in the Ridgway University Center, for a chance to spin the wheel and win a prize!

The UE Alumni Board of Directors has issued an important philanthropic challenge: If we can reach 1,854 gifts together (in honor of our founding year) by the end of the day, they will gift $25,000 to the UEvansville Fund. Special just for campus, with a gift of $40 or more to the UEvansville Fund, you will receive an exclusive 10-year anniversary Pep and Vim t-shirt. Visit www.uealumnionline.com/cc22.

Stay tuned all day for opportunities to support your favorite UE programs and learn more about their new initiatives.

Don't forget! Be sure to follow us on social media @UEAlumni and join us as we achieve the goal of 1,854 gifts. Thank you, and...

GO ACES!

Are you an upcoming Class of 2022 graduate? Read below for important information!

Each year before the Commencement ceremony begins at the Ford Center, we display a senior video on the jumbotron. This is a short video (less than 5 minutes usually) that features many of our graduates reflecting on their time at UE and answering a question or two (i.e. what’s your favorite memory at UE? or who is your favorite professor and why?). In order to do this, we need to collect your responses!

Two students from our Department of Communication, Ethan Jaworski and Hayden Seaton, will graciously be taking on this project and producing a video for Commencement. They have scheduled two dates for filming, and we encourage all seniors to stop by and answer a few questions on camera. You can show up by yourself, or come with a group of friends and even record together!

Filming dates will be:

• Today, April 12 from 4-7PM
• Tuesday, April 19 from 4-7PM

Filming will take place in the Peterson Lab, which is Room 16 in the basement of Hyde Hall.

If you have any questions about the senior video filming, please contact Julie Bryant, university relations coordinator, at jb855.

In celebration of Spirit Week and our Day of Giving, Pep and Vim, we invite our campus community to help reach the goal of 1,854 gifts on Friday, April 8. When this happens, the Alumni Board of Directors will gift $25,000 to the UEvansville Fund. The UEvansville Fund allows UE the flexibility to address its most pressing needs and opportunities as they arise.

With a gift of $40 or more to the UEvansville Fund, you will receive an exclusive 10-year anniversary Pep and Vim t-shirt. T-shirts can be picked up at the Igleheart Building. Make your gift early to wear your shirt this purple Friday, April 8 in support of our Day of Giving at www.uealumnionline.com/cc22

Thank you and go Aces!

UE Spirit Week will be taking place April 4th -8th. There will be different things going on each day leading up to Pep & Vim.

The UE Gerontology Center will host the 2022 Research in Gerontology Symposium on Tuesday, April 12 from 11:30am-1:00pm in the Atrium of the School of Business. This year's symposium will feature poster presentations from students in sociology, psychology, criminal justice, ethics and social change, public health, health services administration, literature, and theatre across a variety of topics in aging and the life course.
The Symposium also will include the announcement and celebration of the winners of the Sociology Programs' annual student awards: Hanns G. Pieper Senior Research Award, James Berry Outstanding Junior Award, and the Mary Rode and Ludwig Petkovsek Outstanding Service Award.
Join us in celebrating student research and achievement!

Tonight, from 6 pm - 10 pm, SAB will be hosting PurplePalooza along Walnut Street and East Terrace Lawn! There will be live music, food trucks, inflatables, laser tag, and free stuff will be given away throughout the duration of the event!

The Food Trucks that will be at PurplePalooza are Pizza Revolution from 6 pm - 8 pm and Rock-A-Burger from 8 pm - 10 pm.

UE students will need to sign up for a food truck voucher with this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050b44acaf2faafa7-purplepalooza1

Please only sign up for one slot, if you have friends that want to come along, they will need to sign up for their own slot separately! This will help us keep track of who has received their food vouchers on the day of the event! You must pre-register in order to get free food from the food trucks. Upon arrival at the event, make sure you go to the check in table to get your food voucher! The food trucks will also be selling extra food for cash! There will also be free popcorn provided for those that do not have a food voucher!

All guests will need to check in at the check in table and sign the waiver for the inflatables and laser tag! You will also get a free t-shirt and a wristband that will indicate that you've signed the waiver when you check in!

Attractions at the event include Rock Wall, Inflatables, Mechanical Bull (6:00 - 10:00 pm) and Laser Tag )open from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm).

We have several performers lined up for the evening including:

Student performer: Grace Hoening from 6:15 - 6:45 pm
Oferle from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Jariah Higgins from 8:15 - 9:15 pm
Drag Show presented by P.R.I.D.E. from 9:30 - 10:00 pm

Also if you would like to help us out by volunteering at the event, we have multiple slots open still! If you are able to spare an hour or more to help us out in running this event please consider signing up to volunteer using this link! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050b44acaf2faafa7-purplepalooza

We can't wait for this event and hope everyone is ready to kick off this exciting weekend with us! See you then!

Join us for the inaugural College of Business and Engineering Speaker Event.

The College of Business and Engineering Speaker Series highlights the intersection of business and engineering. Our inaugural speaker, Denny Quinn, CEO of Traylor Industrial Group, has made a career of leadership in this space.

Speaker to begin at 6 p.m. with a reception and networking to follow.

Monday, April 18, 2022
6:00 p.m.
Room 251, Ridgway University Center, Eykamp Hall,
University of Evansville Campus, 1800 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, IN

Register online

A Zoom invitation will be provided via email, the day before the event, to those that would like to attend virtually. In order to receive the invitation, you must register at the link above.

Denny Quinn is CEO of Traylor Industrial Group, a national contractor who provides construction, maintenance, and fabrication services for clients in the energy, industrial and infrastructure market sectors. Mr. Quinn is a registered Professional Engineer and a US Patent Holder. He received his engineering degree from the University of Illinois and obtained his executive business education from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and IMD business school for management and leadership in Switzerland. He has served on the board of directors for manufacturing and construction businesses in the US and UK. Mr. Quinn resides in Evansville Indiana where he is involved with several local non-profit and civic organizations.

The UE campus community (and guests) are invited to a reception in the Krannert Gallery on Thursday, April 21 at 4:30 p.m. Please plan to join us to celebrate the 2022 UE Employee Photography Exhibit.  The exhibit will be open through Sunday, May 8 in the Krannert Gallery.

Co-workers and UE retirees participating include:
Melissa Gust, Center for the Advancement of Learning
Tonya Albright, School of Engineering and Computer Science
Donnie Dunville, Retiree Physical Plant/Maintenance
Lynn R. Penland, Dean Emerita
Keith Gehlhausen, Human Resources and Institutional Equity
Mari Plikuhn, Sociology Programs
Lois Patton, Professor Emerita
Hanns G Pieper, Professor Emeritus
Nancy Lockyear, Department of Art
Todd Matteson, Department of Art
Kevin Gray, Criminal Justice
Joe Flauto, Professor Emeritus
John Metelko, Track and Field/Cross County
Corliss Chastain, Department of Art

The CDEI and Evansville Civic Theatre Presents: Not Someone Like Us, real stories of real accounts of sexual assault and violence from an intersectional cast.

The play will take place in Eykamp Hall @7:00PM on Wednesday, April 13th.

The CDEI will host a talkback session after the performance.

At the performance sign the Pledge to Get Consent. Campus Community Members can pledge to do the following: always ask for consent in all of their relationships; to be an active bystander in potentially dangerous situations; and to help create a culture on campus in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported. The department or organization with the most percentage of pledges will be receive a prize from the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It may only be April, but we are already looking and planning ahead for a great 2022-2023!

Join the Center for Diversity Equity and Inclusion, as well as the UE Dance Company as we welcome world championship ballroom dance instructor, Jonnah Schneider, to teach a special choreography that will be presented during October PRIDE Month (LGBTQ+ History Month) on campus! If you are interested in performing in October, or maybe just interested to see what it is all about, we look forward to seeing you on Saturday from 2-4 pm!

If you cannot make it on Saturday, be on the look out for sign-ups for the performance and more lessons to follow!

If you have any questions, please contact the CDEI at Center4DEI@evansville.

*Please come dressed in appropriate dance attire and bring lots of water!

The University of Evansville Theatre closes their spring 2022 season with Will Arbery’s HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING. To celebrate the season finale of their “Welcome Back To Shanklin Theatre” campaign, they are offering two FREE tickets to every University of Evansville employee for this production, opening at 7:30 pm, Friday, April 8. Additional performances are at 7:30 pm, April 9, 21, 22, 23, and at 2:00 pm, on April 24. Free tickets for university employees are available for any date.

HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING, a 2020 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama, is a meticulously crafted story centering on four alumni of a conservative college whose reunion spirals into chaos over spirituality, politics, and a nearly fanatical desire to be understood.

University of Evansville employees may obtain their two free tickets by calling extension 2031, or by going to the Shanklin Theatre Ticket Office, located in the Matt Williams Lobby in Hyde Hall, Monday through Friday, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. UE students may also claim their free ticket by coming to the Shanklin Theatre Ticket Office on the day of the show they wish to attend.

In following industry standards, as established by the Broadway League, all audience members must show proof of COVID–19 vaccination or a negative test result, taken within 48-hours of the date on their ticket, and remain masked during the

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, also known as SAAM. The Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Office of Institutional Equity have brought forth activities to bring awareness, education, and support in this time.

April 5th at 7:00 PM Sexual Assault Awareness Panel via Zoom.
The Panel consists of Counseling Services, Public Safety, Institutional Equity, EPD, Albion Fellows Bacon Center, Deaconess, and the Prosecutor’s Office.

Tuesday, April 13th at 7:00 PM in Eykamp: Not Someone Like Us: a collaboration between the CDEI and Evansville Civic Theatre. It is a play about sexual assault based on true stories. The Consent Pledge will take place before the play. The Center will also be hosting a talk back session after the play.

Monday, April 19th at 6:00 PM Bystander Intervention Training via Zoom.
Learn how to safely act when others may be in dangerous situations.

The following faculty members will be honored at the Faculty Retirement Tree Planting Ceremony that will take place on Sunday, April 24:

• Sharon Gieselmann- Associate Professor of Education/Chair
• Donald Rodd- Professor of Exercise Science and Physical Therapy
• David Unger- Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering

The UE community is welcome to attend this event which will begin at 1:00 p.m. on the lawn south of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration building.

The annual BiSci Club Plant Sale is happening on April 12th from 9 am to 5 pm! Come down to the greenhouses (located between the Koch Center and Weinbach Ave, near the Lincoln and Weinbach corner) at any time to buy a range of plants. There will be succulents in beautiful pots made by UE students and faculty in ceramics, tomatoes, hot peppers, several types of herbs, some flowers, and even some hanging baskets! Come support the Biology Club's fundraising efforts, and reconnect yourself with nature. Cash is preferred, but Venmo will also accepted. If you have questions, please email BiSci's President Sam Schmidt at ss747.

The UE Jazz Ensemble will be featuring guest jazz Vocalist Diane Schuur on a concert Saturday April 9 at 7:30 PM in Eykamp Hall. Diane Schuur is a two-time Grammy Award winning artist and has international acclaim. Tickets are free at the door, however there is a limited number of seating.

The Department of Art invites you to view the 60th Annual Undergraduate Student Exhibition in the Melvin Peterson Gallery from March 21- April 9, 2022. The Reception and Awards is March 24, 5-6:30 PM, with awards ceremony at 5:30. Please come visit the exhibition and celebrate the success of the students. You may also vote for the People's Choice Award which is awarded at the end of the exhibition. Hope to see you there.

UE Alumni and Engagement is hosting a virtual 5K run/walk to promote a healthy lifestyle. The 5K can be completed indoors or outdoors between April 3 and April 8. Participants will enter their times online. All participants will receive an exclusive Pep and Vim t-shirt if registered by March 25*. The race fee is $35 and $20 for students.

On Friday, April 8, Day of Giving, post a video or picture wearing your Pep and Vim t-shirt on social media using #AcesGiveBack and #FORWARD to help spread the word. If you have any questions, please contact alumni@evansville.edu.

Go Aces!

*Registrations will be accepted after March 25, but we cannot guarantee the arrival of the Pep and Vim t-shirt by April 8.

Register for the Pep and Vim 5K

Today is the last day to apply for SAB Appointed Positions for the 2022-2023 school year! Applications are open to all students and we'd love to see what you can bring to our organization next year!

A little bit about each of the positions:
Treasurer: Responsibilities include managing SAB's budget and creating a budget proposal to submit to SGA for the following year.
Marketing Chair: Responsibilities include running SAB's social media pages (which includes creating a schedule to sufficiently advertise for events), creating advertising for events, and marketing SAB's events in a variety of ways (AceNotes, hanging up posters, chalking, etc.)
Sound Chair: Responsibilities include running sound trainings and managing sound setups.
Trivia Chair: Responsibilities include creating and running weekly trivia nights.
Recruitment and Outreach Chair: Responsibilities include heading the recruitment of new members and reaching out to other organizations to promote collaboration.

How to apply:
Go to UEngage
Go to the Forms Tab
Scroll down and click the "SAB Appointed Position Application" Form
Submit your application by the end of the day today!
You will receive an email asking you to sign up for an interview time slot with our executive board

The Grabill Awards deadline has been extended to noon on Saturday, April 10th. Submit your short fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry to grabillawards@gmail.com. If you have any questions, reach out to kd60@evansville.edu. (A few small notes: Put your name and your story title in the subject line of the email (for example: “Jimmy Buffett, “Pencil Thin Mustache”). Please leave your name off the accompanying attachment, but in the body of the email, tell us any professor who has seen the work. You may submit two works in each category.) We look forward to reading your work!

PSYC 229 (Social Psychology), PSYC 420 (Children, Psychology, and the Law) and PSYC 405 (Psychology of Gender) will be offered summer session 1. PSYC 405 (Gender, Psychology, and Law) and PSYC 320 (Psychology and Law) will be offered summer session 2. All courses will be offered in an online, asynchronous format.

If you're interested in any of these courses I'd love to have you in class this summer. Also, if you know of anyone who might be interested, please spread the word. If you have any questions please contact Professor McCracken at em157@evansville.edu.

A new issue of the Crescent Magazine is available at https://crescent.evansville.edu.

The Crescent Magazine is produced by Student Media. All content is created by UE students. If you are interested in joining Student Media please contact the Student Media Advisor, Tommy J Housman th208@evansville.edu

Student Media has 2 Federal Work Study positions open during the fall semester of 2022. If interested email th208@evansville.edu

The Crescent website is receiving about 1,000 views a week when classes are in session.

There are many advertising opportunities on the website and in the online publications. Contact th208@evansville.edu about pricing.

Just a reminder that the Online Benefit Enrollment period opened on Monday, April 4, and employees can now log into the system to make your elections. You can also view all of the relevant documents beginning with the open enrollment memo for important announcements, reminders, and changes which will occur June 1 to the University’s benefits.

During the period of April 4 through April 15, benefit-eligible employees may enroll or make changes in the University’s health, life, long term disability, and dental insurance, vision (NEW!) and ACES flexible spending account benefit plans. It is the only chance for benefit-eligible employees to enroll or make changes until the next open enrollment period unless you have a qualifying change in status.

We will once again utilize an on-line enrollment process, eliminating all paper enrollment forms for health, life, dental, vision and long-term disability insurance, as well as the ACES flexible spending account. This will ensure the accuracy of your enrollment elections and maintain records electronically regarding your current and future participation. Enrollment/changes to your TIAA retirement plan salary deferrals will continue to be processed on paper forms available in the Office of Human Resources. Therefore, you do not need to re-enroll in the TIAA retirement plans. ALL benefit eligible employees (including those who do not want to make any changes to their current coverage) must enter their elections by April 15. Please review the open enrollment memo and On-Line Benefit Enrollment Documents on the HR Area of the MyUE portal, which should answer many of the questions you might have about this system.

Please contact the Office of Human Resources at ext. 5045 with any questions.

• Quieter or more distant than usual
• Aggressive or angry for no obvious reason
• Head or stomach pain when there doesn’t seem to be a physical cause
• Becoming clingy
• Doing less well at school
• Avoids particular places or people
• Bruises on soft parts of the body like arms and thighs
• Dressing differently
• Eating more or less

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 the 2022-23 academic year may apply. An essay of about 300 words must accompany the application along with two to five faculty recommendation letters.

The application and faculty recommendation information can be found here.

Completed applications and recommendation letters should be returned to the Office of Student Financial Services by MAY 10, 2022.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Student Financial Services via email or by phone at (812) 488-2364.

The Mobile Mammography services will take place next to the Krannert Fine Arts building, behind the Employee Health Clinic on April 12th from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Appointments are available every 20 minutes.

Sign up though Ace Link

Those who are eligible:
-Females, age 35 or older
-Are due for a mammogram
-Do not have any breast symptoms or problems
-Not currently pregnant or nursing
-Have not been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past
-Have a primary care physician

*As a reminder, your health insurance card and information will be collected for this service.

UE students seeking financial aid or intending to use loan funds for summer courses at UE, please complete a Summer Financial Aid Application and return to the Office of Student Financial Services (Olmsted 105) however is most convenient. The application will allow our office to assess your aid and loan eligibility.

Work-Study:

On-campus jobs are available for continuing UE students during the summer. You do not need to be eligible for need-based Federal Work-Study during the academic year in order to apply. You may also apply regardless of your enrollment in summer courses. Applications will be available within the Student Employment area of WebAdvisor.

Summer session courses can be added to your monthly payment plan now with no additional set-up fee. If your student is enrolling in summer courses, anticipated summer charges can be included in the spring semester payment plan and the plan extended through May (for Summer 1 charges) or June (Summer 2 charges). The undergraduate tuition rate for Summer 2022 is $580 per credit hour. Fees per summer term include a $50 registration fee and a $40 technology fee. Online courses are assessed a $50 online course fee. Payment arrangements are due prior to the start of the summer term.

Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Services no later than Reading/Study Day, April 28, 2022 to determine if financial aid is available for their summer courses.

To modify your current payment plan to include summer, contact the cashiers in the Office of Student Financial Services at 812-488-2565.

The Honors Activity Board wishes to thank everyone who participated in Nerd Wars on Wednesday, March 30. The event included nineteen teams of students and faculty using their trivia knowledge to compete for the title of Nerd Wars Champions. Congratulations to the overall champions, the faculty team “Army Ants”, consisting of team members Dr. Katie Aldred, Dr. Robert Baines, Dr. Kevin Gray, Dr. Julie Merkle, and Dr. Mari Plikuhn. Also, congratulations to the top-finishing student team, “Poppin Panda Pals”, with team members HarMonee Baltzell, Ava Bourn, Izzy Stapp, Nicole Tucker, and Anna Watson.

In addition to providing a night of trivia and entertainment, Nerd Wars is also a philanthropic event to benefit HACER, the Honors Program’s community service initiative. All proceeds from the event will support HACER.

Thanks to all for a fun evening, and we hope to see you again next year!

Dr. Hyunsoung Park, Visiting Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering from the School of Engineering and Computer Science and his co-authors have published an open access journal paper in Scientific Reports titled “Predicting financial losses due to apartment construction accidents utilizing deep learning techniques". Congratulations, Dr. Park!

On Friday, April 1st the Center for Diversity Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with Student Activities Board held a Prom night! We recognized that due to the COVID-19 Pandemic many students were not afforded their own high school Prom experience, so why not bring it to UE? Students of all years joined in the fun, making it a very successful night between prom and the after party at Walther's Golf and Fun! However, this fun would not have been possible without the help of some amazing employee volunteers who allowed the students to have that fun, as well as our amazing decorating committee!

From the deepest appreciation, I would like to thank the following people in their time, effort and support of Prom Night!
- Dr. Val Stein
- Jade Shelby
- Gene and Sharron Wells
- Marisa Knox
- Cherie Leonhard

I would also like to take the time to recognize the amazing planning committee who spent countless hours putting this event together and without we would not have had a successful Prom Night!
- Amanda Ward
- Sarah Vreeland

And a special shout out to someone who put her entire Thursday and Friday into decorating and making final preparations all to make sure that her fellow students had a beautiful space to dance the night away- Ty Meadors!

Thank you to all that was included in the night. The CDEI values and appreciate the time that you spent and recognizes that without you there would have been no Prom!

Coming into the weekend on a five-game winning streak, the University of Evansville baseball team begins Missouri Valley Conference play against Southern Illinois on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
 
Previewing the Matchup: Southern Illinois
• The Aces and Salukis renew a long-standing rivalry this weekend with Friday night's matchup marking the 161st meeting between the two schools as SIU owns a 96-64 advantage in the all-time series.
• A year ago, Evansville and SIU met eight times, doing so in both conference and non-conference play. In the final series of the season between the two, UE and SIU split a four-game set at German American Bank Field.
• SIU enters the weekend with the best record in the MVC, having amassed 21 wins to just eight losses so far this season, coming off a 2-1 series victory over Bradley to open MVC play and a midweek victory over Murray State on Tuesday.
• Evansville's win over Indiana on Tuesday marked the Aces fourth-straight victory over Power 5 opponents.

Widder's Hot Streak
• In his third season with the Aces, third baseman Brent Widder has caught fire.
• Over the last five games, Widder is the best hitter on the team, batting .476 with a pair of homers and seven RBI.
• Widder has done his best work at the plate in night games this season where the junior has hit a scorching .591 and reached base 62.5% of the time.

Pitching Coming Around
• Facing some of the top teams in the nation to open the season, Evansville's pitching staff has settled in and shown its ability as of late.
• In the last five contests, the Aces arms have combined for a 3.72 average with 37 strikes and 24 walks.
• Over the last five games, five pitchers have a sub-2.00 ERA with starters Shane Gray and Shane Harris both falling in that category.

The University of Evansville track and field teams will once again hit the road this weekend, as the Purple Aces will take part in the Jim Vargo Invitational hosted by Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. The meet will begin on Friday with field events beginning at 10 a.m. central time and conclude on Saturday with another day of competition beginning at 10 a.m. central.

For Evansville, it will mark the third-consecutive weekend in which the Purple Aces have competed outside. Last weekend, Evansville set 15 personal-best marks, including a new school record in the hammer throw by junior Zach Dove (Princeton, Ind./Princeton Community) at Eastern Illinois’ Big Blue Meet. Despite its name, last week’s meet only featured five teams. That won’t be the case this weekend, as over 25 schools are expected to compete at Bellarmine.

“This meet will be a good challenge for us,” said UE track and field coach Don Walters. “This is going to be a huge meet numbers-wise, and it should be a very good atmosphere to compete in.

“Our goal is still the same: to set PRs. It doesn’t matter the event or discipline, our goal is to always try to improve and get better. We will see some very good individual competition this weekend. Hopefully, that will help our athletes dig down even deeper and continue to get better.”

In addition to Evansville and the host Bellarmine Knights, the competing field is expected to include student-athletes from Aquinas College, Asbury, Centre, Campbellsville, Davenport, Eastern Kentucky, Ferris State, Illinois Springfield, Indianapolis, Kentucky State, Lawrence Tech, Midway, Morehead State, Ohio Christian, Purdue Northwest, Shawnee State, Spalding, Southern Indiana, Thomas More, Tiffin, Transylvania, Trevecca Nazarene, Wright State and Xavier.

Friday’s action will mainly consist of four field events for Evansville: the pole vault, long jump, hammer throw and javelin. The Purple Aces will compete in the “Open” events of every other discipline both track- and field-wise on Saturday. While UE will not have a competitor in the 10,000-meter race this weekend, graduate student Anna Lowry (Taylorville, Ill./Taylorville) does own both the Jim Vargo Invitational and Owsley B. Frazier Stadium records in the event, as she posted a meet-record time of 34:44.38 last spring.

In its final tune-up before the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, the University of Evansville women’s golf team will play at the Jan Weaver Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Hosted by Murray State, the tournament is scheduled to include 36 holes on Friday with the final 18 taking place on Saturday.  A shotgun start commences the action at 8:30 a.m. each day at Miller Memorial Golf Course.  Par is at 72 with the yardage coming in at 6,234. 

The Purple Aces are one of 11 schools in the event, joining Austin Peay, Belmont, Fort Wayne, Murray State, North Carolina A&T, North Dakota, Samford, Southern Mississippi, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.

UE is coming off one of its best performances of the season, taking second earlier this week at the Indiana State Invitational.  The Aces took second place behind Green Bay and led a group of four MVC schools in the event (UNI, Indiana State and Valparaiso).   Earning the highest finish for the Aces was Magdalena Borisova.  Scoring her first top five finish, the freshman carded a 78 in the final 18 holes to complete the tournament with a 152.  Her score was tied for fourth, just two strokes off the winning score.  One behind her was Allison Enchelmayer.  She registered Evansville's low round of the day, totaling 75 strokes.  Her 3-over round lowered her final score to a 153, putting her 8th in the final standings.

Tying for 14th was Alyssa McMinn.  After shooting a 79 in Sunday's round, McMinn completed the final 18 holes with a 78 to finish with a 157.  Mallory Russell and Caitlin O'Donnell tied for the 17th position.  Russell tallied a 79 in each round while O'Donnell's scores finished at 77 and 81.  Carly Frazier was second among the ten individuals.  Rounds of 81 and 80 saw her tie for 27th with a 161.

On Wednesday, April 6, the University of Evansville presented four individuals in Vanderburgh County with Outstanding Educator Awards. Each educator received a surprise announcement within their school as part of UE’s 31st annual presentation of awards.

The competition, which is specific to Vanderburgh County, recognizes current classroom teachers and building principals in grades K-12 with at least three years of experience. The Outstanding Educator Awards for Vanderburgh County are sponsored by UE, Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union, and the Evansville Courier & Press.

The following awards were presented on Wednesday:

Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year: Kenneth “Kennan” Barnett, sixth grade teacher at Vogel Elementary                                    

Kennan has been teaching for five years, all of which have been spent at Vogel Elementary. This year, he began teaching English and language arts, math, science, and social studies at the fifth-grade level.

As a teacher, his goal is to ensure each student leaves his classroom having grown academically, emotionally, and socially. By creating a safe learning environment where students respect one another and value hard work and positivity, he hopes students will thrive outside of the school walls.  

“On a daily basis, I remind my students that they have control over very few things in their life, but they will always have full control over their work ethic and attitude,” said Kennan. “Anything they may lack in skill, they will always make up for with these two traits.”

The pandemic has taught Kennan a lot about adaptability. He was a physical education teacher before COVID-19 arrived. While he planned to continue this path, a large influx of students returning from Virtual Academy required additional teachers in the classroom. Kennan saw this as an opportunity to grow and expand upon his experience. “I went from locomotor movements and manipulative skills in PE to explaining the area of parallelograms and how to write a first-person narrative essay,” he said. “I never saw myself outside of the gym, but now I have built strong relationships with my team and my amazing students, and I can’t imagine leaving the classroom.”

Last year, Kennan had the opportunity to pilot a program, titled “Gentleman’s Academy,” for sixth grade boys at Vogel. Being the only male teacher in the school, he wanted to ensure the boys had a positive male mentor in life that they could always rely on. The program specifically helps those with a low sense of belonging or high frequency of behavior issues. The boys are paired with a staff member that they trust and meet with daily. The staff members build trust with the students as they support them academically, socially, and behaviorally. Bi-monthly meetings also incorporate helpful lessons, such as budgeting, tipping at restaurants, and spending quality time with family members.

Outstanding Middle School Teacher of the Year: Lori Kassel-Reed, special education teacher for grades 6-8 at Washington Middle School

Lori Kassel-Reed teaches English and language arts, social studies, social skills, and resource skills for students in grades 6-8 with emotional disabilities. Some of her additional roles at Washington include being a spelling bee sponsor, coach for girls’ track, and an enrichment teacher for summer school.

With 16 years of teaching experience, Lori believes that every child can learn and reach their potential when teachers tailor their approaches to student strengths and weaknesses. 

Of those years, she has spent the last eight working with students who have experienced and are working through some type of trauma. This can include abuse, homelessness, incarceration, or self-harm. 

“In this classroom, you will see some amazingly strong and resilient children who are doing their best to better themselves so they can move to general education classrooms,” Lori said. “There is a lot of love, laughter, and healing in this room.” 

Because the goal is to move students out of the room, Lori runs a tightly scheduled class with clearly defined expectations and a focus on behavior. She teaches self-regulation and coping skills; she encourages them to face challenges in life and overcome them.

“I let my students see my mistakes and share with them my own personal challenges,” she said. “I have a very strong track record of getting my students back into the general education classrooms, and I feel that’s due to building that trust and honesty with them.”

In nominating Lori for an Outstanding Educator Award, an individual said that “she is the most selfless person [they] have ever met. She deserves the award because she is a genuinely good, caring person and teacher.” 

Outstanding High School Teacher of the Year: Brian Bobbitt, Master Teacher for Project Lead the Way at North High School

At North High School, Brian Bobbitt teaches engineering and robotics. It’s part of Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which develops STEM curricula for K-12 teachers. For the 2019-2020 school year, he was named the National Project Lead the Way Outstanding Teacher.

As the Master Teacher of this program, Brian has had the opportunity to train other teachers across the nation to use PLTW curricula for engineering classes. It has proven to be beneficial to him, too, as he is always learning from those he is fortunate enough to teach.

“Simply put, I love what I do,” he said. “My dad always said, ‘pick something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’” Brian has always enjoyed teaching, and he especially likes the subject area of engineering. However, his favorite part of the job is watching students develop ideas and come up with their own solutions. In his career, he has seen students grow a love for learning and stretch their expectations to do even better. 

“For all students who make their way to the engineering labs, my goal is to ensure they leave with the ability to solve problems as well as a lifelong passion for learning more,” he said.

Brian implemented a robotics team at North just a few years ago, and now the students compete at district, regional, and state events. Students not only get a chance to grow beyond the normal scope of the curriculum, but they always have a chance to meet and work with engineers from Toyota, Berry Global, Mead-Johnson, and Sabic. Brian is thrilled to see these students make career connections before graduating high school, several of which have led to summer internships.

A nomination for Brian noted his enthusiasm for engineering, as well as the confidence he instills in his students. “His passion for STEM projects is contagious, and he helps students see how they can use their skills to give back to their community,” the form said.

Outstanding Building Principal of the Year: Aaron Huff, Principal of Bosse High School

Aaron Huff has been in the education field for 19 years, and this is his fourth year as the principal for Bosse High School. He is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, in which he serves as the advocacy chair, governance chair, and executive director of the search committee. He is also part of the steering committee and board of directors. In December, Aaron expects to earn his doctoral degree.

Since becoming the principal of Bosse, Aaron has been focused on leading the instructional leadership team to improve employee performance and student outcomes. The school has also been working to improve chronic absenteeism among students. He noted that COVID-19 has created additional challenges in navigating this, but he and the teachers have created an environment of seeking continual improvement.

Aaron firmly believes kids must learn no matter what, and some students will need very little support while others may need coaching or encouragement. “Our ability to create change in students’ lives depends on developing a meaningful relationship with them,” he said. “We are responsible for creating conditions that promote academic and personal success for all students.”

To unlock students’ success and realization of their own gifts, Aaron says the same must be done with teachers. As an administrator, he is focused on removing barriers to improvement and dismantling systems that maintain the status quo. He thinks it is important to “find ways to get to yes and then get out of the way.”

Most recently, Aaron struck a collaborative partnership with Toyota Indiana. Course offerings and instruction will align with Toyota’s qualities in entry-level employees, and students will be offered a position with the manufacturer immediately after graduation. The “Toyota 4T” program will launch this fall, and Aaron is confident it will significantly impact the landscape of education and student outcomes at Bosse.