KOKOMO, Ind. – The Indiana University Board of Trustees approved promotions and tenure for faculty members on the Kokomo campus.

The promotions are:

KOKOMO, Ind. – Two women leaders at Indiana University Kokomo have recently been recognized by their peers for dedication to their professions and the positive impacts they have made in Howard County and beyond.

Susan Sciame-Giesecke, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, was named the recipient of the 2010 Elizabeth Foster Award, given by the Women's Business Council. Gerry Stroman, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and student advising, was honored by the Kokomo Chapter of the Indiana Black Expo (IBE), receiving the Community Service Award in Education.

KOKOMO, Ind. – When Christina Downey, Indiana University Kokomo assistant professor of psychology, assigned her General Psychology students to meet with and interview local veterans, she knew it was going to be a rewarding experience. She just didn’t realize how rewarding.

Christina Downey

This summer, the Indiana Disabled American Veterans presented Downey with the 2011 Community Service Award - one of its highest honors for civilians - in recognition of the curriculum she created.

“We are very impressed with Dr. Downey’s accomplishments and service to Indiana’s veterans and their families,” said DAV State Adjutant Michael Whelihan. “Her dedication underscores the purpose of our yearly award and typifies the caliber of the individuals we have chosen to receive it.”

Although she is uncertain what inspired her to begin the research project, Downey said she knew she wanted to engage students with members of the community. After gaining permission from the local veteran organizations, Downey proceeded to design the curriculum for the General Psychology course she taught in fall 2009. From the very beginning, the project proved to be successful, compelling Downey to continue the program.

“Howard County Veterans Service Officer Bob Ladd and Howard County DAV Commander Jerry Fivecoate were so supportive and interested in having veterans participate in the project,” said Downey. “I give them all the credit for this program’s success because without their assistance, this wouldn’t have been possible. It was a collaborative process. To see the level of emotions the students’ straight-forward questions brought out was impressive, and I walked away also emotionally moved.”

Downey, humbled by the honor, said she was unaware Ladd had even nominated her for the award.

“I was stunned,” said Downey. “Bob and I had been meeting off and on, talking about the project and interviews, but he never said a thing to me about nominating me. I was flabbergasted when I found out that not only was I nominated, but that the state DAV approved the nomination. It actually left me speechless, which is amazing in itself!”

Ladd noted the DAV presents one Community Service Award per year to either an individual or group for making a positive difference in the lives of veterans.

“The veterans just loved participating in the project,” said Ladd. “We’ve heard nothing but positive comments. We had one veteran who never used to want to talk about his experiences, but he loved participating in this project and now is interested in speaking to groups. It means a lot to us veterans when someone without a military background wants to talk with us and learn more about our experiences.”

As a participant in both of the sessions, Fivecoate said students were very respectful in their interviews and genuinely interested.

“Basically the project had a dual purpose – for students to learn what life was like in the military and how we veterans adjusted when we came home,” said Fivecoate. “After the past two years, veterans are looking forward to participating in the program again this year, and now we have more veterans who want to share their stories. We just greatly appreciate what Christina has done for our veterans.”

Downey also plans to submit for publication an article examining some of the students’ research results.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. – A $173,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been awarded to an Indiana University Kokomo faculty member, which will provide funding for research opportunities, equipment, and undergraduate student support during the next four years.

TJ Sullivan wins NSF grant.

T.J. Sullivan, assistant professor of molecular ecology in the Department of Science, Mathematics and Informatics, was the recipient of one of 11,500 competitive grants awarded from a pool of 45,000 requests received by the Foundation. Sullivan, along with a colleague from Hope College, of Holland, Michigan, plans to study the relationship between particular toxic and non-toxic grasses that could ultimately affect livestock.

“The effects of toxic grass can slowly poison livestock if they eat too much of it,” Sullivan said of the importance of the study. “The cattle or sheep will not gain weight, will have a decrease in milk production, and, in severe cases, can result in gangrene in their hooves."

By studying different species of a native grass that is widespread throughout the United States, Sullivan’s goal is to determine why fungus that lives in some grasses can be toxic, but not in others. Students will have the opportunity to assist Sullivan in his research.

“This gives our students an active role in research going on here at IU Kokomo,” he said. “The ability to bring in money from the outside will result in a better project.”

Sullivan noted that the application and selection process is a lengthy one – nine months – because of required criteria and scientists’ reviews and critiques prior to approval. 

Chancellor Michael Harris said this is a reflection of the dedication and commitment of faculty at IU Kokomo in providing first-class education to north central Indiana.

“I would like to congratulate T.J. for his exceptional achievement in obtaining this prestigious grant,” Harris said. “The NSF award is a clear indicator that Indiana University Kokomo is becoming a world class campus. 

“Our faculty who conduct research with the participation of our students demonstrates excellent educational opportunities our students that is relevant to the needs of the region. Conducting undergraduate research has been proven to be key element in academic excellence and student success, as well as allowing our students a variety of opportunities as they graduate.”

Sullivan received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and his doctorate from Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. He came to IU Kokomo in August 2010 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship and serving as a visiting assistant professor at Hope College.

Ireland will come to life at Indiana University Kokomo through a series of new courses, including the possibility of traveling to the Emerald Isle. A recent trip by Professors Eva White and Sarah Heath provided the research and first-hand knowledge to create three classes that will take a closer look at Irish literature, culture, and history.

Irish Galway street“The Great Irish Famine in History and Literature” online course will kick off the series this spring semester.

“Many of our students in the Kokomo region are of Irish heritage and are interested in finding out more about their family and genealogy,” Heath said. “This is a great learning opportunity for all our students. These courses will give students more choices, as well as provide another opportunity to travel abroad.”

The second course will focus on the late 19th and early 20th centuries, leading up to the Irish independence movement and Irish emigration to America. The third will deal with contemporary Ireland, from the mid 20th century to the present, and explore Ireland’s new multicultural identity. This course will give students the opportunity to travel to Ireland. These courses are not yet named, but will tentatively be offered in the fall of 2012 and summer of 2013.

While in Ireland, Heath and White visited key sites important in designing the new courses and for planning student travel to Ireland. For example, in Dublin, they visited The Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship Famine Museum and the Dublin Famine memorial, as well as the Abbey Theatre, which played a crucial role in the Celtic Revival and the construction of the new Irish identity.

“I have no doubt that these faculty will deliver what they promise,” said Erwin Boschmann, interim dean for the School of Arts and Sciences. “The courses they propose will be of interest not only to our campus, but to other IU campuses as well.”

Indiana University Kokomo faculty prepared for a spring semester of excellent teaching and learning Wednesday (January 4) attending a workshop led by Maryellen Weimer, one of the leading advocates for learner-centered teaching.

Weimer, author of “Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice,” began looking for more student-oriented ways to teach when she returned to the classroom after serving as associate director of the National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment at Penn State University.

Maryellen Weimer shares her knowlege with other faculty.

“The focus for a long time had been on teaching, as opposed to learning,” Weimer said, adding that the teacher should serve as a coach, giving students the chance to learn through practice. “Coaches aren’t allowed to play the game. In a lot of classrooms, we don’t let the students play the game.”

Weimer wrote the forewords to both of Chancellor Michael Harris’s books that target specific aspects of learner-centered teaching, “Leading the Learner-Centered Campus,” and the soon-to-be-released “Learner-Centered Curriculum: Design and Implementation.”

“Maryellen is a national expert on the topic and has written extensively on teaching and learning,” said Harris. “My colleague, Roxanne Cullen, and I were fortunate to benefit from her expertise during the past seven years as we have written about the learner-centered paradigm.”

Kathy Ross, director of the IU Kokomo Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment, which presented the workshop along with the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching, called Weimer “an accomplished author.”  The center has used her books, video presentations, and newsletters for faculty training through the years, and she was excited to have Weimer speak in person on campus.

“We find her approach both personable and practical,” she said, and it gives faculty members new ideas for teaching and renewed enthusiasm entering a new semester. “You want people to share their excitement about their area of teaching. To have a speaker of this caliber gives people a chance to ask questions of people outside their environment.”

She encouraged faculty to teach in ways that make students take more responsibility for what they learn. For example, rather than the teacher providing review materials before an exam, he or she could ask students to prepare the materials, giving guidance as they complete the task.

“They’re learning how to figure out what the most important concepts are,” Weimer said.

She said students want teachers to tell them what they should learn, but by giving students some ownership, teachers are helping students become self-directed, autonomous learners. When they have some ownership, students are more motivated to learn.

“At some point, we need to move students to where they are able to make good decisions about what they need to know,” she said. “They also need to learn to accept the consequence of their choices, and should not be able to sit comfortably in class unprepared.”

Content is still important, she said, but rather than “covering” it, teachers should use it to help students develop a knowledge base and learning skills they can take into other classes and their future professions. They may also develop a lifelong love of the subject if the professor is enthusiastic about his or her area.

“The love affair you have with those disciplines is important. Don’t underestimate the power of the professor to capture the imagination of students,” Weimer said.

Nancy Greenwood, chairperson of sociology, history and political science department, said it is “a big honor” to have a speaker of Weimer’s caliber speaking at IU Kokomo. “She is very well-respected in higher education literature.”

Weimer has numerous publications, including journal articles, book chapters, book reviews and service on the editorial board of journals. She has consulted with more than 450 colleges and universities on instructional issues, and regularly keynotes national meetings and regional conferences.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. – Nancy Greenwood’s goal is to be both a teacher and a scholar. At Indiana University Kokomo, she found a place she can excel in both.

Greenwood recently was recognized nationally for her achievements with the 2011 Hans O. Mauksch Award from the American Sociological Association’s Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology.

Chairwoman of the Department of Sociology, History, & Political Science, Greenwood said the IU Kokomo campus provides the atmosphere for her to develop her skills as a teacher and scholar.

Her ultimate goal is to provide students with a better, more meaningful learning experience.

“Whoever you are, you can be a better teacher than you are today. I think great teachers are made, not born,” Greenwood said. “The bottom line is, we want to produce learners.

“I have taught classes of 500 students at a larger university. But by coming to IU Kokomo, I have been able to fulfill my career goals as a teacher and scholar,” she said. “This campus is a place that recognizes the importance of the scholarship of teaching and learning.”

A teacher/scholar is someone who not only has a specialty in an academic field, but also researches best practices in teaching and conducts research.

Susan Sciame-Giesecke, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the award is well deserved.

“Nancy, in her career, has become an expert on teaching sociology. For her to be recognized for this award was not a surprise. I was proud and delighted to see this happen,” Sciame-Giesecke said. “We’re fortunate to have someone who cares so much about teaching, and who exemplifies the importance this campus places on academic excellence and student success.”

Jay Howard, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University, nominated Greenwood for the award. Howard and Greenwood are co-authors of “First Contact: Teaching and Learning in Introductory Sociology,” published in 2011.

He said Greenwood develops innovative ways of teaching sociology.

“It is evident to me that Nancy has a record of outstanding teaching in the challenging context of courses which include mostly non-majors. Without a doubt, she has been a tireless advocate for teaching and learning on her campus,” Howard said.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. – Michael Finkler hopes to draw attention to science in Indiana, and to opportunities to learn about science at Indiana University Kokomo, during his term as president of the Indiana Academy of Science.

Finkler shows his passion for science.

Finkler, associate professor of biology, took office March 10 at the academy's annual meeting in Indianapolis. As president, he sets the agenda for the year and serves as a spokesman for the academy, which is based out of the Indiana State Museum.

"I am proud and humbled to take this position," Finkler said. "I hope I can use this platform to educate people about science and careers in sciences, and about the many opportunities available to study science in Indiana, particularly at IU Kokomo."

Susan Sciame-Giesecke, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said having professors who are leaders in their fields is part of being a world-class regional campus and promoting academic excellence and student success.

"Many of our science and pre-professional students chose IU Kokomo for the opportunity to conduct research with professors like Dr. Finkler," she said. "They know working with our outstanding faculty, who are leaders in their field, will give them a competitive advantage as they apply to medical and other graduate programs."

The Indiana Academy of Science, founded in 1885, has a mission of promoting scientific research, encouraging communication and cooperation among scientists and improving education in science. It publishes a journal and books, and supports scientific research through grants. Finkler said the academy gave $65,000 in grants in 2011. Several IU Kokomo faculty members belong to the academy, and have received research grants from it.

IU Kokomo has hosted the academy's talent search, a program that brings the area's top high school scientists to the campus, which Finkler said benefits both the campus and the community.

"It brings the best and brightest budding scientists to our campus, where they see the excellent research facilities and outstanding faculty at IU Kokomo. It gives the students a chance to perform research and present it for recognition and awards."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Patrick Motl, Indiana University Kokomo assistant professor of physics, is part of a team of astronomers and computer scientists awarded a nearly $800,000 INSPIRE grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Patrick Motl points out Venus as it crosses in front of the sun.

The grant will fund a five-year interdisciplinary project called STAR, or Scalable toolkit for Transformative Astrophysics Research. Astronomers and computer scientists will work together on parallel computing, which allows them to solve a problem in a shorter time period using multiple computers. Currently, they can get benefit using up to 1,000 computers, but astronomers need to be able to use more computers in their studies of white dwarf stars.

"Both groups need to work together to achieve their goals," Motl said. "We are working to develop a new and different approach to getting multiple computers to work together to solve the same problem, which will help our simulations be better and faster. We do simulations of merging white stars, which take a very long time, even on 1,000 computers. If we succeed, we can also improve computer science across a variety of fields."

Christian Chauret, dean of the School of Sciences, said NSF grants are highly competitive.

"The fact that Dr. Motl and his colleagues were funded by NSF is a tribute to the quality of their research and the quality of the team they have assembled," Chauret said. "This is a great opportunity, and Indiana University Kokomo is proud of his accomplishments. Ultimately, studies such as this one will give us more insights into the evolution of stars, and ultimately, the evolution of the universe."

The group also includes Louisiana State University faculty Hartmut Kaiser, Center for Computation and Technology; and Geoff Clayton, Juhan Frank and Joel Tohline, Department of Physics and Astronomy; and Maciej Brodwicz, IU Bloomington, formerly of the Center for Computation and Technology.

Motl earned his Ph.D in physics from LSU, where Frank and Tohline were his dissertation advisors. They have been simulating double white dwarf mergers with Clayton for the past few years, then started working with the Center for Computation and Technology team to improve parallel computing.

INSPIRE, which stands for Integrated National Science Foundation Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education, was established to address some of the most complicated and pressing problems shared by multiple scientific disciplines.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — J.R. Pico speaks three languages, has earned multiple advanced degrees, and teaches college-level Spanish at Indiana University Kokomo.

JR Pico with some of the local children. See more photos here.But he finds that because he is Hispanic, some people believe he must be an illegal immigrant who only speaks Spanish, and is illiterate.

As an educator, he sees it as his job to dispel some of those myths about Hispanic people and culture. He accomplishes this both through campus and community activities, and by leading humanitarian trips to his native Colombia. This month he is leading campus activities for Hispanic Heritage Month.

"This is a good way to educate our students and community about the Hispanic world, Hispanic values, and Hispanic culture," Pico said. "There are more than 500 million people in the world who speak Spanish, in many countries. We're unified by our language, but we have different values."

Pico's passion is for humanitarian service. He leads at least three trips each year, taking Americans to give donated school supplies, clothes, and other items to children in Cartagena, Colombia, through Fundacion Cartagena, a non-governmental agency. His trips are not sponsored by any university or college, so they are open to students and families nationwide.

Because Colombia is on a travel-warning list from the U.S. Department of State because of violence in certain areas, Pico said some potential travelers are nervous about going there, but "when they get there, they love every moment."

He's never had any travelers threatened or injured, he said, and they have a positive learning experience.

"For me, it is incredibly good to see students from Kokomo who have never been outside Indiana have this experience. They come back saying, 'I have seen the world from a different perspective, and this has been a life-changing trip,'" Pico said. "They've learned about another culture, another language. They learn the world is not just one way. That is my best motivation to continue leading these trips."

Nida Zia, an IU Kokomo graduate who is now in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program, said going on the trip made "a lifelong impact" on her.

"I was transcended to a very different culture, and it taught me about how we as human beings are so similar," Zia said. "The visit also made me realize how much I want to give back after furthering my education. I want to help and be able to communicate with the people in the village and the hospital we visited."

Zia has started learning Spanish since her trip to Colombia, and plans to go to medical school.

"It's my hope that after completing my education, I can go back and provide medical care to the many who lack access to any health care," she said.

Pico said his humanitarian focus is on children because, "I am an educator, and children are the future. If we educate the children, they will develop into good citizens."

The students volunteer at a cancer hospital for children and schools, providing coloring books, toys, clothes, and supplies they collect year round. The trip is not all work, however. They also visit museums, take cooking classes and dance lessons, and participate in water sports.

"The best of Colombia is its people," he said. "The children steal your hearts away. In our culture, we don't shake hands. We hug."

Seeing Colombia's rich heritage gives them a different perspective on Hispanic culture, he said.

"There are so many misconceptions about Hispanics, and you overcome those when you see it in real life."

Upcoming activities include a presentation about football soccer, the passion of the Hispanic world, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 23, in the Kelley Center; a talk about the DREAM Act and immigration in the United States by IU Kokomo alumnus Brandon Rush at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 24.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — For nearly 40 years, a small community flourished on the south side of Indianapolis, made up of both Sephardic Jewish and African American residents. They lived side-by-side in a time when skin color determined what they could become and where they could go, an enclave of racial and religious harmony.

The book's cover for The Neighborhood of Saturdays: Memories of a Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood on Indianapolis’ Southside.That community no longer exists, due to migration to suburbs and the construction of Interstate 70, but an Indiana University Kokomo faculty member is part of an effort to be sure it is not forgotten.

Heidi Sebastian, clinical assistant professor in radiographic science, wrote a chapter in the book The Neighborhood of Saturdays: Memories of a Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood on Indianapolis' Southside, as part of a graduate class in ethnography.

Her chapter focused on the religious institutions of the Sephardic Jews, who emigrated from the former Ottoman Empire, and the African Americans, who migrated from the south.

Sebastian called the experience "humbling," as she listened to the former residents recount their personal stories.

"These are people whose parents and grandparents helped Indianapolis become what it is today," she said. "They were founders of the city, and the religious organizations within the city. They were before their time, because they didn't judge people for being a different color. They had friendships that knew no barriers."

Students spent three years using archival research and conducting oral history interviews with community elders, under the direction of Susan B. Hyatt, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis associate professor of anthropology. They collected and assembled a wealth of material that tells the story of the neighborhood, which existed from the 1920s until the 1960s, when many of the Jewish residents began to move north. The remaining residents, mostly African Americans, were displaced 10 years later by construction of I-70.

"I am not a native of Indiana, and did not realize how important their history is to us until I was involved in the project," Sebastian said. "Learning about how the slaves came to Indiana to find a new life, how they became part of the military, was amazing to me."

The project also had personal meaning to her, because she interviewed the parents of one of her Carmel St. Vincent colleagues, Dr. Louis Profeta, as part of the project.

"We interviewed his parents about their family history with Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation," she said. "This meant a lot to me, interviewing people I actually knew."

The book is a collaborative research project between the IUPUI Department of Anthropology and several community organizations. It is being published by Indianapolis-based Dog Ear Publishing, and will be available to order by the end of January.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo recently recognized faculty and staff members for research and service, at the annual spring convocation.

Pictured are Interim Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke and recognized faculty and staff.Patrick Motl, assistant professor of physics, received the annual faculty research award. Motl is lead investigator for a project studying neutron stars, which received NASA grant funding.

Interim Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke also presented service awards to several faculty and staff members.

Michael Tully, professor of education, and Terri Hellman, graphic specialist, were recognized for 30 years of service.

Lori Collins, Dinah Downhour, Sheryl Phillips, Jeff Gegner, Mary Hansen and Cindy Ison were honored for 25 years of service. Kathy Parkison, Ligaya McGovern, Linda Wallace, Mary Zody, and Henry Moore received recognition for serving 20 years.

Those honored for 15 years at IU Kokomo were Michael Finkler, Anthony Northington, Arlene Buell, Karen Shaw, and Barbara Rink. Ten-year service award recipients were Karl Besel, Todd Bradley, Kelly Brown, Kevin Clark, Kristen Snoddy, and Jennifer Miller. Those receiving five-year service awards were Henry Lane, Stacey Thomas, Brenda DeMaggio, and Meghan Green.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Eva White wants her students to dream, and she wants them to use literature as an inspiration.

Eva White leads her class in discussion."By reading literature, they can see all these possibilities of what they can do," White said. "I want them to be empowered to reach out for what they want. It's important to dream, and dream really big."

White, associate professor of English at Indiana University Kokomo, has been recognized as one of IU's best, earning the Herman Frederic Lieber Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence. She will be honored at the university's Celebration of Distinguished Teaching on April 5 in Bloomington.

She sees the award as recognition for the great achievements on the IU Kokomo campus.

"This demonstrates the quality of our campus," she said. "We have many talented faculty here. It also is validation for my efforts. Sometimes you need a boost to let you know what you're doing is right and good."

Interim Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke is proud to have a faculty member earn the honor.

"Eva is very deserving of this award, as she is one of the most passionate teachers I know," she said. "She exemplifies the high quality instruction students receive from a faculty committed to student success. Our students choose to study at IU Kokomo because of teachers like Dr. White."

Scott Jones, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said the award is well deserved.

"Dr. White is an innovative classroom teacher," he said. "She has taught more than 25 different courses during her five and half years on campus. Not only has she developed a wide variety of unique and outstanding courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, she has explored alternative delivery methods, such as hybrid and online teaching formats."

He said in addition to being an outstanding teacher, she is a generous colleague, sharing her expertise with other faculty to help them grow as teachers.

Outside the classroom, she founded the campus literary magazine, "From the Well House", and redesigned the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (M.A.L.S.) program.

Marjorie Schaeffner, a 2010 graduate and current M.A.L.S. student, has taken at least 10 classes with White, and worked with her on the magazine. She plans to teach English at the college level, modeling her classroom style on White's.

"Eva White has definitely had an influence on how I teach," she said. "She makes you think, and isn't one to just stand up and give you the answers. She pushes you deeper and deeper, which I think is a great way to study literature."

White believes her strength, as a teacher, is she tries to meet her students where they are, without lowering expectations for their achievement.

"You can be great in your specialty area, but unless you are communicating it effectively to your students, it's not very useful," she said. "I try to teach at different levels, to meet the students where they are starting. I'm demanding, too, but you can be demanding of the students as long as you give them the tools to accomplish it."

She brings an international perspective to her students, through her own experiences. White was born in Galicia, a region of Spain, grew up in Switzerland, and has lived in England, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia.

"I bring the world to my students through books," she said. "When we read a novel, I bring in maps, lots of cultural references and current events that correspond with the novel.

She teaches a variety of literature classes, and has developed courses with professors in history and sciences. She teaches traditional classes in the classroom, along with hybrid classes, which include both online and classroom experiences, and courses that are completely online.

White enjoys the challenge of creating new classes, usually based on her own research and interests.

"It's my joy, but it's also my challenge," she said. "It keeps me enthusiastic and engaged in the classroom. You can't expect students to be engaged and enthusiastic if you are not."

White also developed IU's only Irish studies minor, drawing on her own love of Irish literature. As a graduate student, she took a class that included a performance by an Irish musician, and the music felt familiar. The musician introduced a song he said was from Galicia, and she told him that was where she was born.

He told her she was a Spanish Celt, spurring her to study the overlapping beliefs between the two countries.

"It's a part of Spain that looks a lot like Ireland," she said. "They both have a lot of history of famine and immigration, and parallel paths seeking nationhood."

White is also proud of her work with "From the Well House," and the master's program, because it gives more opportunities to IU Kokomo students.

"We have a lot of talented students who cannot move away to pursue their graduate studies," White said. "This is an opportunity for them to earn advanced degrees here, and to enrich our region with more highly-educated employees."

White earned her undergraduate degree from IU Kokomo in 1994, and won the outstanding humanities student award.

Her teaching achievements have previously been recognized with the IU Kokomo Claude Rich Award, which is the highest honor given on campus; and she's twice received the IU Kokomo Trustees' Teaching Award.

Despite all of these honors, White says her greatest achievements are her two sons, Eric, 32; and Neil, 31.

"They're decent human beings, and even if they weren't my sons, I would like them as people," she said.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Marilyn Skinner was inspired to reach for leadership roles by the principal at Bon Air Elementary School, where she began her teaching career.

Marilyn SkinnerNearly 50 year later, Skinner, director of Indiana University Kokomo's Center for Early Childhood Education, inspires others with her dedication to preparing Howard County's youngest residents to succeed when they go to kindergarten. She is a leader in the community as well, volunteering with organizations including Altrusa, Rotary Club, Partners in Education. She led the 2013 United Way of Howard County campaign as chairperson, and surpassed the fund raising goal of $1.8 million.

She has earned numerous accolades for her work, most recently as an Indiana Women of Achievement award winner for Distinction in Early Childhood Education. The award was given by the College of Sciences and Humanities at Ball State University.

"I don't do this for recognition," Skinner said. "I just have a passion for helping people with my God given talents. It's a great reward, and you always feel satisfied."

She is also happy that there is greater awareness of the importance of early childhood education in preparing children to succeed beyond preschool.

"I've been preaching from the hilltops how important it is," she said. "It's gratifying to see the state and local governments recognize it as well."

Skinner also was interviewed as a woman in leadership for a university-sponsored study, with the purpose of seeing what traits successful female leaders have in common.

"I am glad to help, to give a hand up to young women, and show them how they can get into leadership," Skinner said.

Skinner could never have imagined she would emerge as a strong leader when she began her teaching career.

"I was comfortable in front of little kids, but not with adults," she said, adding that her principal kept giving her larger and larger leadership roles, helping build her comfort level working with her peers.

She moved from the classroom into administration, with the distinction of being the first woman to serve as an assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent in the Kokomo schools. After retiring, she worked part-time for Head Start, and then supervised student teachers for three universities before deciding it was time to "really retire."

She planned to serve as director of the early childhood center for a few months when it first opened, funded by a $1.5 million Lilly Endowment grant. Nearly eight years later, she is still there, and recently received a two-year grant extension, as her careful planning means the center has not yet expended the funding.

Her goal is to grow community financial support for the center, so it can continue operations when the grant funding is gone.

"I believe our community realizes that our children needs the resources we offer, to help parents do their best as their child's first teacher," she said. "I want the center to always be available, and always be free."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Eva White, associate professor of English at Indiana University Kokomo, was honored for outstanding teaching at IU's annual Celebration of Distinguished Teaching dinner.

Eva White and colleagues from Indiana University Kokomo.The dinner is one of many activities held as part of Founder's Day, the celebration of IU's founding in 1820.

White received the Herman Frederic Lieber Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching from IU President Michael A. McRobbie. She was among fifteen faculty members and four doctoral students recognized for outstanding teaching, research, and service to the university.

McRobbie described the award recipients as "IU's finest faculty members, whose efforts every day in the classroom, laboratory, and studio transform the lives of students, preparing them for successful careers after graduation."

White said receiving the award made her feel more connected to the larger IU community.

"It was a great honor to receive the award and to be in the same room as so many distinguished IU professors and teachers," she said. "It felt wonderful to be recognized for my teaching, particularly because this is also an acknowledgement of all the great teaching that happens on our campus."

Interim Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke said the campus is proud of White, "who clearly deserves to be among the outstanding IU professors and teachers. Her work with the Master of Liberal Studies program and the Well House are two examples of her dedication to our students."

White has taught more than 25 different courses during her nearly six years on campus. She founded the campus literary magazine, "From the Well House," and redesigned the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (M.A.L.S.) program, and also developed IU's only Irish studies minor.

She teaches traditional courses in the classroom, and also has developed hybrid classes, which include online and traditional classroom elements. In addition, she has created classes taught completely online.

Scott Jones, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said IU Kokomo is fortunate to have White as a professor.

"She is an outstanding teacher in every way, whether it is developing programs and courses, learning new instructional formats, or working with students individually," he said.

The Herman Frederic Lieber Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching was established in 1961, and was first sponsored by the IU Foundation. Mrs. Herman Lieber of Indianapolis later sponsored it.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Teachers changed Marcia Gillette's life. So for the past 35 years, it's been her turn to inspire others – and she shows no signs of slowing down.

Marcia Gillette teaches in a chemistry lab.Gillette, 71, a senior lecturer in chemistry at Indiana University Kokomo, wants to inspire her own students.

"It is wonderful to see students succeed, in their studies and in their lives," Gillette said. "That is what we are about here, helping students succeed. This is the next generation, our future. It's good to be part of preparing them."

Gillette planned to study French in college, but chose chemistry because University High School teacher Irwin L. Slesnick made the subject interesting, and encouraged her to pursue it.

She later earned her Ph.D. in chemistry, after studying with Anna Jane Harrison at a women's college in Massachusetts. Harrison was the first woman president of the American Chemical Society.

"They made chemistry important, and they loved it," Gillette said. "That combination is pretty convincing. In many ways, it was the people who were in it who made me want to study it. Chemistry is a wonderful, wonderful, interesting area. It's the basis of everything. It's hard not to find that intriguing and impressive."

That inspiration was especially important because in 1963, when she earned her undergraduate degree, women were not especially welcomed in graduate chemistry programs. Gillette went to Iowa State University, and had to earn a master's degree before she could enter the Ph.D. program. Her husband Bob, who she met while in the program, was not required to earn a master's degree first.

"It was a different world then," Gillette said. "Administration figured women were not serious about earning the advanced degrees, they were there to catch a husband, and would quit once they had one. There were some students who were angry a woman would take that spot in the program."

Now, it's not a big deal to see women in science classrooms — either as the teacher or as students. Gillette said that is the way it should be.

"I don't see a reason to favor either men or women in any field," she said. "Everyone should be in a position where they can make the career choice that is good for him or her."

Gillette earned her Ph.D. in 1967. She stayed home a few years with her two children, until Bob's job at Haynes International brought the family to Kokomo. She began her career at IU Kokomo as an adjunct faculty member in 1976.

Gillette teaches chemistry to non-chemistry majors, and to nursing and allied health students. She also teaches sustainability classes and a freshman learning community.

Christian Chauret, dean of the School of Sciences, said Gillette has not only been a teacher, but a mentor and counselor for students.

"Students often seek her counsel and advice, and you can typically find students in her office," he said. "For many years, before we had professional advisors, Marcia was a very busy academic advisor. Today, she continues to advise students in a more informal way. She always teaches with passion and enthusiasm. Students appreciate her passion and her dedication to student learning."

That includes students like Joshua Holley, who will graduate with a degree in nursing in May.

"I never had Dr. Gillette for a class, but she helped me with some problems," he said. "She was more than willing to help me succeed in my studies."

She is also interested in science students not old enough to attend IU Kokomo yet, serving in leadership roles for the Howard County Science Fair and the Indiana Academy of Science Talent Search.

Gillette remembers participating in science fairs as a young student, including taking projects to the state science fair in Lima, Ohio. She began volunteering as a judge soon after moving to Kokomo, and was instrumental in bringing the county science fair to campus.

"You don't have to be a scientist in the making to benefit from science fair," she said. "It teaches how to research, how to write your research, and how to present it to others. It also teaches critical thinking skills, which can benefit anyone in any field."

All this, and Gillette has no plans to retire.

"I will teach as long as I am effective," she said. "I am grateful for this opportunity. I enjoy teaching the students and working with my colleagues. It's a team effort, and I am glad to be part of the IU Kokomo team."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — The Indiana University Board of Trustees approved promotions and tenure for faculty members on the Kokomo campus.

Dmitriy ChulkovMichael FinklerMary BourkeChristina DowneyAndrew McFarlandJoshua GottemollerLinda Krause

Interim Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke congratulated all of those who earned promotions.

"Achieving tenure and promotion at Indiana University is a great accomplishment and demonstrates the high quality faculty at IU Kokomo," she said. "These faculty are being recognized as excellent teachers and scholars. We look forward to their leadership as IU Kokomo continues to grow and enhance the academic opportunities in this region."

Those promoted include:

The following faculty were promoted to full professor: Dmitriy Chulkov and Michael Finkler.

Promoted to associate professor and tenure include: Mary Bourke, Christina Downey, and Andrew McFarland.

Also promoted to senior lecturer are Joshua Gottemoller and Linda Krause.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Kristen Snoddy knows both sides of the story.Wild Bison in Yellowstone National Park

After talking with Montana rancher Druska Kinkie, she learned how her family’s livelihood is impacted by the wildlife from the nearby Yellowstone National Park. She felt pulled to agree with Kinkie, and others, who want the park services to limit roaming animals to protect their cattle herds.

But then Snoddy witnessed the bison, elk, and wolves wandering free in the majestic setting of the park, and talked to the rangers and environmentalists who fight to protect those animals. She then was drawn to that side of the conflict.

This experience showed her how easy it can be to learn a little about an issue, and form an opinion. Snoddy, a senior lecturer in English at Indiana University Kokomo, plans to challenge her students to become more informed, engaged citizens, who can think critically, consider both sides of an issue, and research intensely before forming an opinion.

“I want to help students understand that you can’t just quickly jump to a conclusion,” Snoddy said. “You have to consider multiple points of view, not just those that agree with yours. Sometimes you learn more from thoughtful consideration of views you disagree with.”

Snoddy and Todd Bradley, associate professor of political science, spent part of their summer learning about politics and conflict resolution in the awe-inspiring setting of the Yellowstone National Park, as part of the “Politics and the Yellowstone Ecosystem,” conference sponsored by the American Democracy Project and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

Yellowstone, the first national park, is home to hundreds of species of animals, including the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States, and is a tourist destination for outdoor sportsmen. The livestock and land use have been a source of conflict through the years, with controversy about ownership and use of the land by timber, mining, oil, and gas producers, developers, farmers, ranchers, hunters, business owners, recreational users, and environmentalists. Those attending the conference saw the animals in person at Hayden Valley, the best place to view wildlife in Yellowstone Park, and toured ranches impacted by the area wildlife.

Bradley, who researches and teaches conflict resolution, was interested in how the issues affect both sides of the park conflicts, and how those with different views have worked together to create solutions. For example, national park service leaders have worked to release more wolves back into the park, which has driven more elk onto local ranchers’ lands. The elk can carry diseases to the cattle, impacting their ability to sell their animals and meat.

In many cases, it is not possible to find a solution that both sides agree with 100 percent, so these case studies provide good examples of compromise he can share with his students.

“We had in-depth discussions about how to resolve conflict, especially in the long term,” he said. “It’s impossible to have all sides completely happy, but you can give a little and take a little, and work out an agreement everybody can accept.”

He plans to use what he saw and learned as examples of how the democratic process works, in his Model United Nations and government classes.

“Democracies are messy, and must be as inclusive as possible,” Bradley said. “My students will benefit by knowing that issues that appear to be simple are often more complex when we peel back the layers, especially in a democracy. My being in the park provided an opportunity to hear first-hand accounts, as opposed to what I may have learned in books, on television, or on the internet, which makes the experience all that more interesting and alive.”

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Allen Safianow receives the Jacob Piatt Dunn Jr. award.

Allen Safianow, professor emeritus of history at Indiana University Kokomo, continued his love for research and spent two years gathering information for his article, "Ryan White and Kokomo, Indiana: A City Remembers," published in Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History. The Indiana Historical Society recognized his efforts and recently awarded him the Jacob Piatt Dunn Jr. award for the article explaining the impact Ryan White's 1985 fight to attend school had on Kokomo.

"I hope the community will come to see the important role this event played in our history, even though it received unfavorable attention from the media," he said. "It's a complex story. We really need to understand what happened, learn from what happened, and see it in a broader context."

Safianow and his team interviewed people who played key roles during Ryan White's efforts to attend classes at Western Middle School after being diagnosed with AIDS. White, who was 14 at the time, acquired the virus through an injection of Factor VIII, as part of his treatment for hemophilia.

He was pleased to receive the honor, to bring more attention to the oral history project he led for the Howard County Historical Society. The article contains excerpts from many of the interviews, chosen to show the personal impact the story had on the community, and why it is important to remember what happened.

The Howard County Historical Society received the 2012 Indiana History Outstanding Project Award for the project.

Safianow hopes attention from the award will encourage people to visit the local historical society, look through the transcripts, view the artifacts, listen to recordings of the interviews, and reflect on what was learned.

"It's a complicated story," he said. "To have many voices contribute can give people a better understanding of what was involved. We're hoping people will take an interest in what we've done, and it will be enlightening on many levels."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana

Joe Keener

But if you take Joe Keener's "Conversations with Shakespeare" at Indiana University Kokomo, you might read manga, or Japanese comic books —based on one of Shakespeare's plays.

Keener, assistant professor of English, includes modern movies and books as well as manga, alongside classic Shakespeare plays, to help students find a connection with them.

"The students don't expect to read manga, they don't expect to watch Scotland, Pa.," he said. "By upsetting the text a little, you get their attention. Giving students something unexpected is important. It makes the students think about the text, rather than just slogging through it because it's required."

It also removes the negativity sometimes associated with Shakespeare, because it is "required reading," he said.

"I find material that is more current, to help students connect to it," he said. "It makes it fun and worth reading. It is appealing to students, without losing the intellectual rigor. We get past it being valuable because everyone says it's valuable."

Keener connected with Shakespeare as an undergraduate, and continued to study his works as he earned his master's degree and Ph.D. His office, in the Main Building, reflects his love of the English playwright, filled with various editions of his plays, along with Shakespeare bobbleheads and action figures.

"Once you become known as a Shakespeare fan you get a lot of these things," he said.

Students in his "Conversations" class not only read the classic King Lear, but they also read Christopher Moore's 2009 novel Fool, which tells the same story from the fool's point of view. Or they'll read Macbeth, and then watch the movie Scotland, Pa., a 2001 movie that sets the play in a fast food restaurant in Pennsylvania.

"You get a nice back and forth, and students can make more connections," Keener said. "It leads to some interesting conversations, such as 'Is this still Shakespeare,'" and 'How much of Shakespeare's text has to be included for it to be Shakespeare?'"

Keener has used this technique successfully before, in a class covering English literature before 1600. He aligns older texts, like Beowulf, with the 1970s novel Grendel, or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

"This is literature that is especially hard for students to connect with, but juxtaposing texts can make them come alive for the students," he said.

This does not mean he is watering down the curriculum, he said, or that it is an easy class.

"You have to find a balance to maintain intellectual rigor," he said. "Some colleges teach only classics, while others have classes on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You have to reach a balance between adding modern books and maintaining that rigor."

During the semester, students also research to find other media that has a connection to one of Shakespeare's plays, and writes a final paper establishing that connection. This moves students further towards being their own teachers, which is Keener's goal.

"It has to be something unexpected, they can't use the obvious," he said. "Hopefully by the end, students are a little closer to teaching themselves. If I can make one student come out thinking differently than before, that, to me, is an achievement, and really is why I wanted to teach college. It's exciting to me to see them get it, and go beyond getting it."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.