The University of Evansville invites the entire campus community to celebrate an exciting moment in our history as we break ground on The Freeland Clubhouse!

WHO:

• MLB Colorado Rockies Pitcher Kyle Freeland and his wife Ashley ’15
• UE Head Baseball Coach Wes Carroll
• UE President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz
• UE Director of Athletics Dr. Kenneth "Ziggy" Siegfried

WHAT:
Groundbreaking ceremony for The Freeland Clubhouse, a transformative facility made possible by a record-breaking $3 million gift from alumni Kyle ’15 and Ashley ’15 Freeland. The clubhouse will include a locker room, coaching staff offices, and a lounge, all key elements of UE’s athletics strategic plan, Pathway to Excellence.

WHEN:
Friday, January 24, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. CST

WHERE:
German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium

Join us as we honor Kyle and Ashley Freeland for their generous support and celebrate the future of UE athletics. We hope to see you there!

Go Aces!

Purple Patrol is returning for Spring 2025!

Sign up as coworkers, a department/office, or a team and get ready to pass out fun goodies to our Aces displaying purple pride!

Sign up here!

In the slots below, please include your name and department or additional employees who will be helping you.

Please sign up for one slot only so everyone has a chance to participate.

For questions or more information, please contact Abigail Perry at ap445@evansville.edu.

Employees in need of a headshot can have theirs taken on Tuesday, January 21, at 9:45 a.m.

Headshots will be taken outdoors near the southwest corner of the front oval lawn. In the event of rain, they will be moved indoors to the SOBA atrium.

To add your name to the list, please contact Abbie Perry at ap445@evansville.edu.

January 21, 2025 Wheeler Concert Hall 7:30 p.m. Mark Hatlestad (Viola) and Tom Drury (Piano) will give a concert at Wheeler Hall on Tuesday, January 21st at 7:30PM. They will feature music of celebration and reflection written by Ernest Bloch, Astor Piazzolla, Henri Vieuxtemps and Benjamin Britten. Livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpIcuZrzUiY Admission is free and open to the public.

Please join us in Shanklin Theatre on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 11:15 am, to hear Judith Cohen speak about her experience as the real-life inspiration for the curator in the widely acclaimed Broadway production of Here There Are Blueberries. As the former Chief Acquisitions Curator at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Ms. Cohen played an instrumental role in deciding how to handle a photo album with pictures from Auschwitz that the Museum received. Unlike many of the artifacts that passed through Ms. Cohen's hands, the concentration camp's prisoners were entirely absent from this album. Instead, it featured pictures of Nazis relaxing and enjoying themselves at Auschwitz.

The Department of Art presents CREATING A MYTH by ceramic artisit John Reynolds.  The exhibit is open from 01/21/2025 through 03/01/25.  Please join us at the public reception in the Peterson Gallery on Thursday, February 13 at 6:30 pm.

Gallery hours are MTFS: 12 - 3 p.m. and WTH: 12 - 6 p.m.

UE Athletics is putting on a National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) community clinic Saturday, February 1^st. This clinic is built to celebrate our females in sports and celebrate the upcoming girls in sports!

The FREE clinic will be put on by our female sports and female staff to celebrate! The doors will open at 1:30 PM with the clinic starting at 2:30 PM. The clinic will last until 4 PM when the campers will be given a meal and ushered into the Women’s Basketball game at 5 PM for free!

All campers will receive a tshirt, meal and ticket to the game for FREE thanks to MDWise!

This is open to all kids ages K-8^th grade! I want to provide a link for registration as this event has a deadline for registration! https://gopurpleaces.com/sb_output.aspx?form=116

Tutoring for the Spring semester officially begins on Tuesday, 1/21. The tutoring schedule can be found on our advising page here.

Peer tutoring is a free service managed by Academic Services that is open to all current UE students. Each session is run by peer tutors who are familiar with the course material, having gone through it all themselves before. This is a great resource for if you have questions, want to review information, or just need a space to help you focus on studying and other work.

Tutor sessions listed as "TBD" will be updated as soon as possible.

If you have any questions regarding peer tutoring, please contact Laci Rowe at lr152@evansville.edu / 812-488-5170 or stop into Academic Services in Olmsted 116.

If anyone has a large box they are wanting to get rid of, the Center for Student Engagement is in need of one to help return an item before February 1st. We need a box around the size of 4'x2'x2' (LxWxH).

Thanks!

The Fall 2024 Deans' List is currently on display at the library. Congratulations!

Join SAA Book club this month in reading Holly by Stephen King. We will meet Wednesday January 29th at 12 noon in the conference room of the 525 Rotherwood house. (Please note this is a location change.) We will be discussing both Holly and a book we read last Fall, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Feel free to bring your lunch. Email Kathy Taylor at ks6@evansville with any questions about Bookclub or to request a list of all the books we are reading this semester.

Students expecting refunds of excess financial aid are encouraged to input their bank information within Self-Service for direct deposit. This can be found under Banking Information in Self-Service.

If you need further assistance, contact the Office of Student Financial Services at 812-488-2565.

The spring application to become an Admissions Ambassador is now open! If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador please apply! The application will be open for approximately two weeks.

https://apply2.evansville.edu/register/AmbassadorAppSpring25

Members of the  UE Community,

 The Honorary Degree Committee is seeking your recommendations for honorary degrees to be conferred at the May 2024 Commencement.

 We need your help in selecting accomplished individuals to receive one of our university’s highest honors.  Nominations may be made on the basis of individual service to the University or individual achievement that exemplifies the University’s mission.  Recently selected persons have excelled in a variety of areas including law, medicine, education, business, literature, politics, and entertainment.

The committee will forward nominations to President Pietruszkiewicz so he can make his recommendations to the faculty for their approval later this semester.

Please send your suggestions to the committe chair, Ben Johnson, (bj23@evansville.edu) by Thursday, January 24^th.  It would help us if you could provide some biographical information, the rationale for your nomination, and contact information for the nominee.  

Exciting news! Late Night Grill has now expanded to all-day service with the launch of Ace's Grill Exchange! We’re open from 10:30 AM to 10 PM, ready to serve you. You can still use your meal swipe for the Hot Meal Exchange, but if you're looking to indulge a bit more or don’t have a meal swipe, you can easily purchase a la carte! Treat yourself to a hot pizza to go or a mouthwatering hamburger. Come savor the flavors with us—see you soon!

If you're passionate about helping new students make connections and find their way at UE, enhancing your leadership skills, and being a part of a close-knit team, apply to be an Orientation Leader for the 2025 school year! Deadline to apply is January 30.

Application Link: https://forms.office.com/r/i1fWGmW31w

What is an Orientation Leader (OL)?  

An orientation leader is a student committed to serving the University by offering information and assistance to incoming and new students and their families. OLs wear many hats so they must possess a “we care” attitude as they support students during orientation, welcome week, and beyond. OLs are held to the highest standards of good conduct and must possess leadership skills that allow them to be good role models for other students.

The “We Care” Attitude

OLs must be able to adapt and adjust quickly and easily to different situations and support a variety of differing needs and backgrounds of incoming students. A genuine interest in caring for people and an ability to spend long hours working with others are important. OLs are frequently asked to embody a spirit of team work and prioritize the needs of new students and family members above their own interests.

Qualifications

1. Understand and believe in the mission of the University of Evansville. 
2. Support the University, including the regulations and policies as stated in the Student Handbook. 
3. Must maintain a 2.5 G.P.A. and be a full-time student. 
4. Must be in good disciplinary standing. 
5. Must relate well with faculty, administrators, families, and new students. 
6. Must be reliable, confident, sincere, flexible, and display a willingness to help others.
7. Must have good communication and time management skills.
8. Must have the character, academic success, and exemplary attitude that will serve as a good role model for others.
9. Must be able to meet all time commitments associated with the position.

Do you have questions? Contact co-chairs Austin Landis (al357@evansville.edu) or Mia Melendez (mm962@evansville.edu).

Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, David J. Unger, has publihsed the following article in a technical journal:   D.J. Unger, "Point Loads on a Straight Slot with Rounded Ends for a Plane Elasticity Problem," Journal of Mechanics of Materials and Structures, 19 (5) 907-918, 2024.   This paper presents the first analytical solution for a stress field for a pair of opposed point loads applied at the center of a slot in a plate.

Doug Cook is the Staff & Administrators Assembly Employee of the Month for December. Doug has been a valued member of the Office of Public Safety since 1995. Beginning as a Night Sergeant, Doug now serves as the Assistant Director of Public Safety. Doug's nomination noted "Doug is always willing to answer questions, fix a problem or just talk to." Doug's smile and dedication to the University are known campus-wide.

Doug, we celebrate this achievement with you and are so grateful for your contributions to the University of Evansville. Congratulations Doug!

Submit a Nomination for Employee of the Month

Nominations for the January Employee of the Month are open until January 17: https://forms.office.com/r/vAHuvKJLYC

The ChangeLab CHNG-310 - Celebrating Hispanic Voices podcast has been nominated for a Leadership Everyone's 30th Annual Celebration of Leadership. Congratulations to the team: Tommy Housman, Ale España, Lesly Hernández, Darla Luna, and Ainoah Cruz! Terrific work!

Have a listen! Trailer link: Celebrating Hispanic Voices Podcast

Call for Applications to Teach at Harlaxton
Fall 2026, and Spring 2027

Harlaxton College is pleased to be accepting applications to teach at the Manor in Fall 2026, and Spring 2027.   These applications are online and can be found by clicking https://pursueharlaxton.evansville.edu/register/teach-with-harlaxton.

Applications for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 are due on April 1, 2025

Semester applicants will be informed of the status of their application in July 2025.

Semester Applicants:
Semester benefits include room and board for family members at Harlaxton.   Faculty members who wish to bring children and enroll them in the local schools will be assisted in the visa process but will be required to pay any fees for the visa.  These fees are currently approx. $1000 per person and visas are required for every person in the family.   Faculty and families will also be invoiced for health and transportation fees at the Manor for each member of the family and the faculty member.  These fees are approximately $400 per person.

Teaching at Harlaxton is a wonderful experience, and we welcome faculty members for a phenomenal summer or semester abroad.  If you have questions about teaching at Harlaxton and the experience overall, please feel free to email me at hc110@evansville.edu.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With only two available forwards the University of Evansville women’s basketball team could not keep up with the Missouri State Lady Bears in an 84-57 loss.

The Purple Aces freshman led the way in their return to Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Friday night. But with only seven active players UE was not able to contain Missouri State’s offense from putting together several major runs. Freshman point guard Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) was Evansville’s offensive leader with a career-high 18 points followed closely by freshman guard Logan Leubbers Palmer (Union, Ky. / Randall K. Cooper HS) with her own career-high of 15 points.

“Having only seven players available I’m really proud of how hard our kids fought,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr after the game. “It was a pretty small lineup for us with not a lot of post players available. I thought we had some really good moments. That being said, we’re out here to win. I’m disappointed because I thought we were in decent shape a quarter and a half in. And then we just didn’t close the second quarter well. We’ve got to figure out a way to start doing that better. Against good teams, you have to limit those runs and we need to figure out how to do that.

The Aces won the tip to begin a defensive-focused first quarter. The Lady Bears put together a quick seven-point run to take the early lead and soon had a double-digit lead two and a half minutes later. But UE shut down Missouri State’s offense until the final minute of the quarter to get back within two points. The Lady Bears added three more baskets in the final minute as Evansville trailed 20-13 after 10 minutes.

It was a shot-for-shot start to the second quarter. But Missouri State returned to a double-digit lead three minutes in thanks to a brief four-point run. The Aces took advantage of opportunities at the line to get back within single digits before quieting Missouri State’s offense for two-plus minutes. Five straight points for Kelley got UE within five points before the media timeout with four minutes on the clock. The Lady Bears responded by closing out the half on a 10-0 run to make it a 42-27 game.

Evansville’s offense struggled to score at the beginning of the second half as Missouri State took a 24-point lead. Luebbers Palmer ended the Aces over eight-minute scoring drought with a three-point play. Neither team scored for the next two minutes but then each scored twice in under a minute. The Lady Bears stretched their lead to 29 points twice in the third. But UE responded with two trips to the line and three layups to bring the deficit down to 23.

Missouri State had the first two baskets of the final quarter. But Evansville’s defense became engaged as they held the Lady Bears scoreless for two and a half minutes. The Aces were able to get back within 21 points with three minutes left. But six straight points put the game firmly out of reach for UE as they fell to Missouri State 84-57.

Three freshmen ended the night in double figures for Evansville as Kelley (18), Luebbers Palmer (15), and Runner (11) led the team. Four players had five rebounds each to lead on the defensive side of the ball while Kelley was the only player with multiple assists (2) and steals (2).

The Aces are back in action Sunday afternoon against the Southern Illinois Salukis for the MVC Featured Game of the Week. Tip-off from Meeks Family Fieldhouse is set for 1 p.m. on January 19th.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In an exciting contest that featured 20 lead changes, it was Belmont who converted its late free throws to take an 85-82 win over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team on Saturday inside the Ford Center.

It looked as if the Bruins would cruise to the win in the first half as they led by as many as 15 points.  Evansville completed the half on a 17-4 run to trail by just a pair at halftime before retaking the lead early in the second half.  Both squads took multiple leads in the second stanza with the Bruins completing the 3-point win.

Cam Haffner was the top scorer in the game, scoring 25 points.  He hit seven triples and finished just two points shy of his career scoring high.  Tayshawn Comer had 16 points while Connor Turnbull matched his mark of 13 points.  Josh Hughes wrapped up the day with ten.  Tanner Cuff approached a double-double, setting a new career high with 11 assists while grabbing nine boards.

“Belmont is a really good team especially on the offensive end.  They have some excellent shooters.  Their pace initially stunned our guys but once we settled in, we did a much better job,” Purple Aces head coach David Ragland said.  “I'm proud of the guys effort and how connected we were especially in the second half.”

Tayshawn Comer’s triple got the Aces on the board before the Bruins went up 5-3.  Cam Haffner knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to establish a 9-7 lead.  Five in a row put the Bruins back in the lead, but a quick 5-0 spurt by the Aces was capped off by another Comer triple to put UE on top at 14-12.

After retaking a 19-16 lead with 11 minutes left in the half, Belmont made its move.  Outscoring Evansville by a 16-4 margin, the Bruins opened a 3-20 lead with 7:25 left in the period.  Just when it looked like Belmont was going to pull away, the Aces had other ideas.  Michael Day hit a triple to open a 9-0 stretch for UE.  Gabriel Pozzato capped the stretch with his first basket after missing the previous eight games.

With just over two minutes remaining in the half, the Bruins held a 39-33 edge.  The defense for the Aces continued to clamp down while it was Day picking up four more points to cut the deficit to just two points at halftime – 39-37.  Evansville completed the half on a 17-4 run.

Josh Hughes continued the stretch to open the latter half, connecting from downtown to give UE its first lead since early in the game at 40-39.  Haffner added two more 3-pointers to put UE in front at 49-46 while Comer picked up a field goal to push the lead to 51-46.

As the game reached the 12-minute mark, Pozzato made his presence known once again.  Comer forced a Bruin turnover and found Pozzato ahead of the play.  His dunk made it a 57-50 contest.  In a back-and-forth game, Belmont had the next run.  A 12-4 rally put them on top at 62-61 with just over eight minutes left.

It did not take long for the Aces to counter.  Shooting from the edge of the center court logo, Cam Haffner converted his fifth triple of the game on the ensuing possession.  The teams continued to swap the lead as the Bruins went back up by a 70-66 margin with UE battling back to jump back on top as Hughes converted another triple before Comer found Turnbull for a dunk that put the Aces in front – 71-70.  Turnbull knocked down a pair of free throws at the 3:56 mark that returned the lead to the Aces at 73-72.

Belmont picked up the next four points and held multiple leads down the stretch, but the Aces continued to give themselves a chance.  Two free throws put the Bruins in front at 83-79 with 30 ticks remaining.  Haffner drained another triple as the deficit was cut back to a point.  After Belmont hit two more from the line, Evansville had a final chance to tie the game with four seconds remaining.  Unfortunately, a last-second 3-pointer fell short, giving the Bruins the 85-82 victory.

Carter Whitt paced the Bruins with 20 points as the team shot 48.3% on the day.  Evansville finished slightly better, hitting 48.4% of its attempts.  Both teams had 33 rebounds.  The Aces are back home on Wednesday as they face UIC in a 7 p.m. game.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With five players in double figures the University of Evansville women’s basketball team earned its first Missouri Valley Conference win.

The Purple Aces led for over 35 minutes in a big 80-75 win over the Southern Illinois Salukis on Sunday afternoon. UE ended a six-game losing skid with its second game of the season having five players score 10 or more points. Freshman forward Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Penn. / Greater Latrobe HS) had her best-scoring outing with 19 points to lead Evansville. She was followed closely by freshman point guard Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) with her third straight double-digit outing with 18 points.

“The wins feel really good,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr after the victory. “I’m really really proud of our team. Today's effort was great for a great performance. We shot the ball really well and we were able to hang on through runs and not let anything tighten up when we gained a nice lead. I’m really pleased with today’s game.”

The Aces offense started early on Sunday as freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS)  put in an early layup. Southern Illinois answered with a three for the first lead change of the afternoon. The lead was traded three more times in the first quarter. Until UE pulled ahead on a seven-point run. The Salukis tied the game back up, but Evansville ended the quarter on a nine to two run for an eight-point lead.

It was a slow start to the second quarter for the Aces as Southern Illinois got within three. Snyder ended UE’s 4:45-minute scoring drought with her second three to spur a seven-point run. For the final five minutes of the half Evansville’s defense kept the Salukis from putting together a run. The Aces grabbed four steals in the second quarter while forcing 11 turnovers from SIU for the half. Snyder closed out scoring in the half the same way she opened it with a three to give UE a 40-25 lead after 20 minutes.

Evansville kept its offense going in the second half with a six-point run forcing an early Saluki timeout. The Aces took their largest lead of the game at 23 points less than three minutes in the third while holding Southern Illinois scoreless for that period. SIU’s offense had an eight-point run to get within 15. But the UE defense kept the Saluki’s from any more major runs in the quarter. Evansville trapped Southern Illinois into foul trouble, taking advantage of 13 attempts at the line for a 62-45 lead.

The Salukis scored five points to begin the fourth quarter to make it a 12-point game. The Aces were able to respond with a five-point run of their own while keeping SIU scoreless for a minute and a half. The teams traded shots through the media timeout until Southern Illinois' leading scorer put together four points. Snyder made a statement shortly after with her fifth three of the game to put the game to bed. With three trips to the free throw line in the final three minutes Evansville secured its first MVC win against the Salukis.

For the second game in a row, the Aces’ scoring offense was mostly led by freshmen. UE’s three leading scorers were Snyder with 19 points, Kelley with 18 points, and Runner with 14 points. Guard Logan Leubbers Palmer (Union, Ky. / Randall K. Cooper HS) added 10 points as well for Evansville’s freshman scoring 61 of the Aces' 85 points.

On defense sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) led UE with 13 rebounds to pick up her fourth double-double of the season. Runner came a board shy of her first double-double tying her career high of nine rebounds. Runner also recorded Evansville’s lone block of the game.

The Aces return to action next weekend on the road. UE will make its final season trip to Music City on Friday, January 24th. Evansville will take on the two MVC leaders over the weekend with Friday’s game against Belmont and Murray State on Sunday. Tip-off from Nashville is set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday night.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Back in action for the first time since mid-November, the University of Evansville swimming and diving teams will be across town at USI on Saturday.

Action begins at 10 a.m. with the diving portion of the competition before swimming opens at 1 p.m. at the USI Aquatic Center.  Admission is free.

UE was last in action at the A3 Invite in Carbondale, Ill. with both teams earning top five finishes at the event. The Purple Aces men came home in fourth place with the ladies taking fifth.

The multi-day contest saw Evansville finish strong.  Joseph Capo had the top finish for the men on the final day.  Registering a time of 16:09.18 in the 1650-Freestyle, he took third place.   Another third-place finish came in the 400-Free Relay as Michael Pruett, Ben Hasanovic, Logan Tenison, and Daniel Santos Lopez finished in 3:03.32.  In the A Final of the 200-Backstroke, Patrik Vilbergsson earned a 4th-place finish, registering a time of 1:49.66.

Santos Lopez led UE with a finish of fourth in the A Final of the 100-Free race.  He completed the event in 45.34.  Michael Pruett was third in the B Final, recording a 45.98.  In the 200-Breaststroke, Joao Pereira picked up a top five in the A Final.  Tallying a 2:05.01, he came in fifth.

Sveva Brugnoli provided the highlight of the final day for the women.  Her time of 2:04.47 in the A Final of the 200-Fly gave her the victory.  Evelyn Chin grabbed a top five in the B Final, finishing 4th with her effort of 2:13.54.

Mari Mueller came in fourth in the A Final of the 200-Breaststroke.  She registered a 2:21.42.  Rafaela Markarewicz came in 6th in the B Final with a 2:27.02.  Ane Madina had a strong performance in the B Final of the 200-Backstroke.  Finishing in 2:07.84, she came in fourth.  Hannah Krings picked up a top ten in the 1650-Free.  She took 10th place with a time of 18:11.37.

In the 400-Free Relay, Madina, Brugnoli, Rebecca Lago, and Mia Pesavento earned a 5th-place finish.  The group finished the race in 3:34.74.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Three of the next four games will take place at home beginning on Saturday when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team welcomes Belmont to the Ford Center at 1 p.m.  ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.

Last Time Out 

- Holding the Purple Aces to 18 points in the first half, Northern Iowa pulled away for a 73-56 win on Tuesday in Cedar Falls

- Tayshawn Comer scored 18 points while Cam Haffner finished with 13

- Comer added 7 boards and 4 steals while Haffner led UE with 8 caroms

Top Defense

- Evansville has established itself as the top defense against MVC competition

- In league games, the Aces lead the league in field goal percentage defense at 36.5% while its 58.43 points allowed is second

Raising His Game

- In his first season in the MVC, Tayshawn Comer has performed at his best against league competition

- Comer is averaging 16.9 PPG in Valley games, putting him 6th

- On January 6, he was named the MVC Player of the Week after averaging 25 points against Southern Illinois and Indiana State

- He reset his career scoring high with 26 against the Salukis, passing his previous high of 23 when he was at Eastern Kentucky

- Over the last five games, Comer is averaging 19.6 PPG

Showing Consistency

- Over the last seven games, Tanner Cuff has recorded 9.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game

- He continues to pace UE with his average of 6.3 boards per game; that mark ranks 9th in the MVC

- On the offensive side, Cuff has scored 7 or more in seven of the last nine games and is averaging 8.8 PPG on the season

- He had the top game of his career against Chattanooga, scoring 18 while adding 5 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal

Scouting the Opponent

- Belmont has won four MVC games in a row to improve to 13-5 on the season and 5-2 in league play

- Three of those wins for the Bruins have come at home including a 71-64 victory over Valparaiso on Tuesday; on Jan. 11, Belmont picked up an 84-79 road victory at Indiana State

- Four Bruins average double figures in scoring with Jonathan Pierre leading the way with 13.7 PPG; Pierre is also the top rebounder for BU, averaging 6.9 caroms per game

- Carter Whitt holds a 13.1 PPG average while Isaiah Walker and Tyler Lundblade chip in 11.6 and 11.4 PPG, respectively