November 28, 2023

Jazz Ensemble

7:30 p.m.

Wheeler Concert Hall

The UE Music Conservatory presents the Jazz Ensemble performing selections by Quincy Jones, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim and Miles Davis.

All students are welcome to attend a leadership panel featuring representatives from Berry Global, Koch Enterprises, and The Confectionery on Thursday, November 30, 12:15 - 1:15 in SB170. LEAD Forward is hosting this event where we will gain insights from an entrepreneur/small business owner, human resource executive, and an engineer as they share the leadership wisdom they have developed throughout their careers. Lunch will be provided; please register in advance by emailing Megan Conapinski at mt263.

Katie Darby Mullins will be reading poetry and signing books at Bluestocking Social on Tuesday, November 28th at 6 PM. Her latest book, "Me and Phil," covers biographical events with distinctly non-biographical interludes from Dr. Phil. She will also be reading new poetry and will have copies of both her books there to sign. The cover of "Me and Phil" was designed by UE alum, Everin Casey ('23).

The UE Holiday Ceramics sale will be held in the Melvin Peterson Gallery on Tue 12/12, Wed 12/13, and Thu 12/14 from noon - 6:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to purchase fine art for yourself or for gift giving.

Please pay with checks or cash only.

This Friday is SAB's Winter on Walnut, Winter Around the World!

There will be crafts from different countries, international snacks, an Advent Candlelight Vespers Service (7:00 p.m.), tree lighting (8:00 p.m.), and vendors!

Join us to experience how other countries celebrate the holidays! We can't wait to see you there!

Register today at uealumnionline.com/2023WOW.

The Finance Club is pleased to announce that Ross Mayfield, CFA, Investment Strategy Analyst with Baird, an international, employee-owned financial services firm, will have a video conference with UE students at 12:15 p.m. on November 28. Ross’s role involves authoring investment research for advisors and clients focused on financial markets, the economy, and the benefits of long-term investing. He frequently appears in print, television, and online media to discuss markets. Ross holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Kentucky and earned his MBA from the University of Louisville. He is the former President and current Treasurer of the CFA Society of Louisville.

Please contact Landon Stoll (ls353) if you are interested in attending the session!

"Bring Your Own Lunch and Learn" event with the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & the Nursing Department

Come listen to Rachel's story and hear the stories of individuals in the Marshallese community.

CDEI will be providing cookies and rice krispy treats

Bio for Rachel Acton, guest speaker:

Rachel is a Korean-adoptee who grew up in Evansville, Indiana. She attended University of Southern Indiana (USI) with degrees in History and Social Science Secondary Education. As the Director and instructor of the USI AmeriCorps GED program, she taught English GED and created the first Spanish GED program in Evansville. In addition, attended Indiana University (IU) Bloomington to earn a Masters in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education (LCLE). There were opportunities to teach in literacy and English as a New Language (ENL) in Bloomington and Indianapolis before returning to Evansville as the ENL middle school International Newcomer Academy (INA) teacher for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) for six years. This incredible endeavor led to educating diverse students and collaborating with families throughout the city, including the amazing Marshallese community. Recognizing the tremendous growth of the Marshallese community and their struggles adapting and surviving in a new country led to her current position as the Health Advocate at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital. She has been able to connect and bridge the tri-state regional community to resources, supports, and programs. Specifically, she works to support the Marshallese community to elevate and create opportunities through collaboration with various local organizations and agencies to access health services. In addition, as an International Community advocate, Rachel collaborates with the Marshallese Consulates and various international community nonprofit organizations including the Marshallese across the country. Rachel‘s interests include spending time with family and friends, watching sports, and traveling.

Videos from:

Lurina Bwein was born in Majuro, Marshall Islands. Lurina grew up in Marshall Islands, graduated high school and attended the College of Marshall Islands. She earned her Associate degree in Education. She taught at the local elementary and high school. Then, she and her family moved to Ohio in 2020. In 2021, they moved to Evansville, Indiana. Lurina is a proud mother of three children. She assists other Marshallese with interpretations and translations in Evansville. ansville.

Brenson Laneab was born in Majuro, Marshall Islands. Brenson grew up in the islands, attended school, and learned about carpentry. One of his skills is carving handcrafted coconut shells into one-of-a-kind decor. Brenson moved to Hawaii in 2010, and then to Evansville, Indiana in July 2012. He is a husband and a father to five amazing children. Brenson is a leader in the Latter Day Saints (LDS) church and the Marshallese community.

Binta Laukon was born in Wotje, Marshall Islands. Binta graduated high school in Marshall Islands and attended the College of Marshall Islands. She is a mother to three wonderful children and one grandson. Binta moved to Arizona, then to Evansville, Indiana in 2019. She creates beautiful handcrafted flowers that are well known from Wotje Atoll. She is a faithful servant of God and attends Full Gospel church in Evansville.

Rebecca Hemos was born in Majuro, Marshall Islands. She grew up in the islands and moved to Springdale, Arkansas in 1996, as a teenager. Rebecca continued to live in the United States until 2005, and returned to the Marshall Islands. She is an amazing mother to five beautiful children and returned with her family to Utah in 2015. In 2021, Rebecca and her family moved to Evansville, Indiana. She works full time and continuously serves as an interpreter and translator for the Marshallese. She is part of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) church.

Please join us in celebrating with Dr. Jerrilee LaMar's retirement on December 7th from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in Graves Hall Nursing Lab 105. Stop by and share a memory, wish her well, and enjoy some refreshements.

Efroymson Artist in Residence, Jonpaul Smith, and the UE Department of Art present THE SPACE BETWEEN from October 30 - December 9.  Please join us for a public reception and artist lecture on Thursday, November 9 at 6:30pm in the Melvin Peterson Gallery.

Gallery hours are Mon, Tue, Fri & Sat 12:00pm - 3:00pm; Wed & Thu 12:00pm - 6:00pm.

UE is thrilled to announce a speaker ahead of the upcoming solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Maria Weber '08, PhD, a distinguished alumna of the University of Evansville (UE) and a leading astrophysicist, will be delivering a captivating presentation on the mysteries of solar magnetism titled "From Eclipses to Magnetism: The Secret Life of the Sun."

Event Details:

• Title: From Eclipses to Magnetism: The Secret Life of the Sun
• Presenter: Dr. Maria Weber '08, PhD
• Date: Sunday, April 7
• Time: 2:00 p.m.
• Location: Eykamp Hall, UE Campus

Weber received her bachelor's degree with majors in physics and philosophy from UE and furthered her education by obtaining a PhD in Physics from Colorado State University. Her extensive research on solar magnetism, particularly magnetic flux emergence, has established her as a renowned authority in the field.

This exclusive presentation by Weber offers a unique opportunity for the Evansville community to delve into the fascinating world of solar magnetism and its significance in our universe. We extend a warm invitation to all interested parties to join us on Sunday, April 7, for this enlightening event.

To register and access further event details, please complete this form by clicking here.

Additionally, we encourage residents near the UE campus to witness the solar eclipse alongside our community on Monday, April 8. For more information, please visit https://www.evansville.edu/ueclipse.

We all need space to breath; a place to rest from the doing to just be. As we enter into finals week, UE’s campus ministries and staff want to create a sanctuary space where you can come to rest, decompress, pray, and meditate. This will be a come and go space set up throughout the week with self-guided stations as well as a scheduled noonday prayer service that will be led each day by Campus Ministry Leaders and UE’s Spiritual Formation Coordinator.

The UE Music Conservatory recently hosted two events for over 85 young pianists and accompanying teachers and parents. The day-long "GEMTA Keyboard Education for Youth Piano Festival (KEY)" was held on Saturday, Nov. 18. This is a significant competition for area pre-college students sponsored by the Greater Evansville Chapter of the Indiana Music Teachers Association. A winner's recital followed on Saturday evening in Wheeler Concert Hall. UE Professor Anne Fiedler also held a piano masterclass prior to the competition on Nov. 12 for select area pre-college students of GEMTA teachers.

The Office of Admission needs current UE students who live in a residence hall or Jones Hall to host prospective high school seniors for Road Trip 2024, February 23-25. If you are available, you can apply to host online. Please contact Heather Cook (hw30@evansville.edu), Jennifer Troutman (jt65@evansville.edu) or Alli Haley (ah757@evansville.edu). Deadline to sign up is Friday, February 9.

Excelling in both her efforts in the classroom and on the floor, University of Evansville sophomore Kora Ruff was named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Second Team on Monday.

In her second season at UE, Ruff holds a 3.99 GPA in Psychology.  On the floor, she has established herself as one of the top setters in the league.  She completed the season with an average of 10.39 assists per set, which was third in the MVC.

Ruff set her career mark with 64 assists in the win over UIC in October and finished the season with 62 helpers in the road win over Indiana State.  Defensively, Ruff totaled 2.84 digs per set in 2023, finishing 18th in the conference.  She finished the season on a high note in that statistic, setting a new career mark with 28 in the season finale against the Sycamores.

Leading from start to finish on Saturday, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team improved to 6-0 with a 93-74 victory over Southeast Missouri State in the second game of the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Classic inside McKenzie Arena.

With the win, the Purple Aces improved to 6-0 for the first time since the 1964-65 undefeated national championship season.  It also marked the first such instance since UE joined the Division I ranks in 1977.

“Our group was mature enough to handle them (SEMO) chopping away at the lead.  SEMO had a good game plan, but I credit our group with having a big start,” Aces head coach David Ragland said.  “We received contributions from each guy who stepped on the floor.  Yesterday was an extremely emotional game and for us to come back today and play the way we did was special.”

Once again, it was Ben Humrichous leading the way.  Converting 11 of his 13 field goal tries, Humrichous scored 27 points while adding six rebounds, two assists and two blocks.  He was 3-of-5 from long range.  Joshua Hughes recorded 21 points in an efficient 8-for-12 shooting day.  Hughes accumulated six boards, three assists and a pair of blocks.  Kenny Strawbridge Jr. finished with 17.  SEMO was led by Adam Larson’s 22 points.  He knocked down six 3-pointers.  

Hitting their opening four attempts, the Purple Aces jumped out to an 8-0 lead just over a minute into the contest.  Kenny Strawbridge Jr. recorded five of the first eight points.  SEMO closed to within four points at 12-8 before the Aces retook control.  Joshua Hughes posted three points in a quick 5-0 spurt before adding another field goal to give Evansville its first double digit lead at 21-10 with 12:22 remaining in the period.

As the game reached the midway point of the half, Chuck Bailey III connected on a triple in a run that stretched the lead to 28-12.  Five minutes later, it was another Humrichous basket that pushed the advantage to 20 points for the first time – 37-17.  Evansville’s lead reached 27 points inside the final two minutes when an alley-oop from Tanner Cuff to Hughes made it a 51-24 contest.

Southeast Missouri State never gave up as they scored the final five points of the stanza to trail by a 51-29 score at halftime.  Evansville scorched the nets, shooting 61.1% in the half with three players reaching double figures, led by Humrichous’ 15 points.  Strawbridge and Hughes scored 11 apiece.

After shifting the momentum to complete the first half, SEMO continued to rally in the early moments of the second.  A pair of triples saw them make it a 51-35 score before Strawbridge knocked down two free throws to temporarily end the stretch.  The Redhawks came right back with four in a row to get within 14.

Hughes’ sixth field goal of the day pushed the UE lead back to 15 tallies at 59-44, but the SEMO run continued as a 3-point play was part of another 5-0 spurt that made it a 59-49 game with 15 minutes left.  With 13:40 remaining, the Redhawks got within eight before the Aces regained control.  Antonio Thomas knocked down a pair of free throws to open a huge 9-0 run, which added some much-needed breathing room.  Bailey hit a layup during the rally while Humrichous completed it with a 3-point play.

Despite the run by UE, Southeast Missouri State continued to put up a fight, cutting the deficit to 12 at the 8-minute mark, but the Evansville attack proved to be too much.  The Aces never let SEMO any closer and would go back up by 21 in the final minute before earning the 93-74 win.  UE finished the game shooting 56.5% while SEMO shot 44.8%.  On the glass, the Aces finished with a 35-31 advantage.

Two Missouri Valley Conference games are on tap over the next week.  UE opens league play at Missouri State on Wednesday before returning home to face UNI on Saturday.

University of Evansville head volleyball coach Fernando Morales has announced the signing of three players to National Letters of Intent to join the Purple Aces program for the 2024 season.  Morales’ class includes Josdarilee Caraballo, Jenna Heidbreder and Sabrina Ripple.

Josdarilee Caraballo

Ceiba, Puerto Rico

Notre Dame High School

Josdarilee Caraballo joins the Purple Aces from Ceiba, Puerto Rico where she played volleyball and softball.  She was a member of the Puerto Rico U-19 and U-21 National Teams and played her club volleyball for Criollas Caguas.  Caraballo earned several MVP awards for her various teams in multiple categories.

Coach Morales on Caraballo:

“Josdarilee is a very well-rounded player and primarily plays outside hitter.  She is a great passer and with her 6’0 is a threat on the net as well.  She is a member of the Puerto Rico U-19 and U-21 national team and is one of the top prospects in Puerto Rico for her class.  We expect a lot from her starting at day one.” 

Jenna Heidbreder

Floyds Knobs, IN

Floyd Central High School

Jenna Heidbreder comes to Evansville from Floyds Knobs, Ind. where she was a 4-year star for the Floyd Central HS volleyball team.  Heidbreder enjoyed her best season as a senior in 2023, finishing with 371 kills and 261 digs.  Her kill tally led the Hoosier Hills Conference.  The 2-time Hoosier Hills All-Conference player was named an IHSVCA All-District South player and Academic All-State performer as a senior.

Coach Morales on Heidbreder:

“Jenna is an outside hitter that had a great high school career, especially in her senior season.  She was named to the Indiana South All-Regional team this year and her high school team was sectional champions.  She has the ability to be an outside hitter that can score and will develop into an all-around player.”

Sabrina Ripple

Reynoldsburg, OH

Reynoldsburg High School

Sabrina Ripple is set to join the Purple Aces following her high school career at Reynoldsburg HS in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.  In her senior campaign, Ripple finished with 114 kills, 57 blocks and 54 aces on her way to 1st Team All-Conference honors.  The Scholar-Athlete All-Conference player was the recipient of the Reynoldsburg HS Girls Volleyball Leadership Award.

Coach Morales on Ripple:

“Sabrina is a middle blocker that can help us defensively starting at day one and can develop into a double threat player in both hitting and blocking.  She brings good energy to the team and will give us depth in that position.”

Looking to continue the best start in six years, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team travels to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the Coke Zero Sugar Classic to face Chattanooga and Southeast Missouri State.  UE faces the Mocs on Friday before facing SEMO on Saturday; both games tip at 1 p.m. central.  The Purple Aces Radio Network will have coverage of both games while ESPN+ will be available for Friday’s opener.

Setting the Scene

- Evansville recorded a 74-50 win over Ball State on Saturday to improve to 4-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season

- The Purple Aces square off against Chattanooga for the first time in program history as they look to win their fifth in a row

- UTC is also 4-0 with a road win at Louisville highlighting their start

- Both schools are ranked in the Field of 68 Mid-Major Top 25 with UE coming in at 20th and UTC sitting at 21st

Last Time Out

- Up by three points at halftime, the Aces held Ball State scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second half while scoring 17 in a row and cruising to a 74-50 victory

- Evansville led by as many as 29 points in the final minutes

- Kenny Strawbridge Jr. led UE with 13 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his Division I career

- Joshua Hughes and Ben Humrichous recorded 12 points apiece while Yacine Toumi finished with 8 points and 8 boards

Double Digits

- Ben Humrichous continued his unbelieve start to the season with 12 points against Ball State; he has scored at least 11 in each game and leads the Aces with 14.8 PPG

- He scored 18 in the wins over Miami Ohio and SEMO

- Humrichous’ MVC stat rankings include: blocks (T-6 | 1.75/gm), FG% (8th | 59.5%) and 3-point% (T-10 | 50.0%)

Reaching the Mark

- In the second half of the Nov. 18 win over Ball State, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. reached the 1,000-point mark in his D1 career

- Scoring a season-high 13 points in the victory, Strawbridge pushed his career mark to 1,002 points

- Aside from his scoring, Strawbridge has created major problems for opposing offenses, averaging 3.33 steals per game while setting his career-high with five against Ball State

Turning Some Heads

- Freshman Joshua Hughes is one of the top shot blockers in the MVC and ranks third with 2.25 per contest

- He has posted at least two blocks in all four games while adding at least three boards to average 4.8 per game

- From the field, he is shooting 61.1% and has averaged 7.5 points

- His top efforts of 12 points came against Miami OH and Ball State; in the win over BSU, he hit 5 of his 6 attempts

Looking at the Numbers

- UE has held last three opponents to 57 points or fewer – that happened just twice in the 2022-23 season

- The last three opponents have shot just 31.4%; last two opponents have shot just 37.5% - in 32 games last year, defense held just one opponent under 38%.

- Evansville has outrebounded D1 opponents by 9.0 per game – UE outrebounded just one opponent by more than 6 in all of 2022-23 (+11 at Indiana State)

Trailing by as many as 20 points I the second half, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team staged one of the largest rallies in Missouri Valley Conference history to defeat Chattanooga in overtime by a final of 85-77 inside McKenzie Arena.

With 11:40 remaining in regulation, the Purple Aces trailed Chattanooga by a 62-42 margin.  From that point on, UE outscored the Mocs by a 43-15 margin to pick up the improbable road win.  Chattanooga was shooting 53.3% (24-of-45) from the field and 47.8% (11-of-23) at that point.  Over the final portion of regulation and overtime, the defense for UE held the Mocs to 4-for-24 from the field and 3-of-18 from long range (both 16.7%).  The comeback by Evansville tied the 8th-largest comeback in MVC history.

“This was a huge win for us; our guys never gave up and we continued to battle regardless of how many points we were down,” Purple Aces head coach David Ragland explained. “We challenged the group with about 11:40 left and said, “Do we believe?”  Seeing the looks in their eyes, we could see that they believed and they responded the right way.”

Evansville’s win gives the program its best start since an identical 5-0 mark to open the 2017-18 campaign while matching the win total from the entire 2022-23 season.  Anchoring the comeback was Ben Humrichous.  He finished with a game-high 28 points, 18 of which came during the Aces comeback.  He was 11-for-21 from the floor while draining five triples.  Antonio Thomas finished with 11 points while Tanner Cuff and Chuck Bailey III scored 10 and 9, respectively.  Cuff picked up his first double-double at UE, hauling in 11 rebounds.

Yacine Toumi hit his second triple of the season to open the scoring as the Aces began the day with a 7-2 lead.  Ben Humrichous and Antonio Thomas added baskets in the early stretch.  The Mocs rallied right back with seven in a row to take their first lead of the afternoon at 9-7 five minutes in.  Cam Haffner tied the score with a floater, but the Chattanooga run continued as they tacked on five more to go up 14-9.  In total, the Mocs outscored UE by a 12-2 margin.

Ben Humrichous hit from downtown and Tanner Cuff added his first basket of the day as the Aces tied it up at 14-14 at the 13:09 mark.  Another 3-pointer put Chattanooga back on top, but UE staged a rally of its own to go up 24-20 near the midway point of the period.  Gage Bobe hit a triple to highlight the run.

Things continued to go back and forth with Humrichous’ second long ball of the day knotting the score at 29-29 with exactly four minutes showing on the clock.  Over the final minutes of the stanza, the Mocs would retake the advantage and head to halftime up by a 40-36 score.  Humrichous had a game-high 10 points in the opening 20 minutes.

In the win over Ball State, Evansville outscored the opposition by a 17-0 margin in the opening moments of the latter half.  It was a different story on Friday with UTC doing the damage.  Six in a row by the Mocs, coupled with a 0-for-7 start by the Aces, made it a 46-36 contest in the first three minutes.  After Evansville scored four in a row, Chattanooga reeled off 13 consecutive points to cap off a 19-4 run to open the half and go up 59-40.

Chattanooga extended the lead to 20 (62-42) before the Aces fought back.  Bobe’s second triple completed a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 13 with 9:13 left in the contest.  Two minutes later, Humrichous made it ten Evansville points in a row with another triple to cut the Mocs lead to 62-52.  Rudy Fitzgibbons III ended a scoreless stretch that exceeded five minutes with a three, but the Aces posted the next four to make it a 65-56 game entering the final five minutes.

Another triple by the Mocs reestablished the double figure lead on the ensuing possession, but Tanner Cuff immediately drained a three to make it a 9-point game once again.  With 3:31 on the clock, Joshua Hughes nailed a triple that got his squad within six tallies.  As the contest entered its final two minutes, Humrichous took full control.  With 2:06 remaining, his triple made it a 3-point game and, following a Chattanooga turnover, he was true from outside once again to tie the score at 68-68 with 98 ticks left.

Two free throw misses by the Mocs gave the ball back to UE and Humrichous converted a jumper to give the Aces their first lead since the first half.  UTC knocked down a pair of free throw tries with 33 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

Riding the wave of momentum from their comeback, the Aces got right back to work in overtime.  Humrichous had a 3-point play to get things started while Antonio Thomas hit a pair of free throws to make it a 75-70 game less than a minute in.  Thomas added a field goal and Cuff converted a pair of free throws to cap off a 9-0 run to open the OT period.  Chattanooga posted its first overtime points with 1:02 remaining, but the UE lead was too much to overcome.  As the clock reached zeroes, Evansville finished off an 85-77 triumph.

Five Mocs reached double figures with Honor Huff tallying 17.  Sam Alexis registered 10 points while hauling in a game-high 15 boards.  Evansville finished with a 41-39 rebounding edge while outshooting the Mocs by a 42.6%-40.6% tally.

Tomorrow, the Aces complete the Coke Zero Sugar Classic against Southeast Missouri State.  Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT.