Additional Updates

VALPO ALUMNI NAMED FULBRIGHT AWARD RECIPIENTS

SCHOLARS

Congratulations to the seven Valpo alumni who received the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for English Teaching Assistantships for the 2019–2020 academic year. These incredible young graduates will touch the lives of many around the world conducting research, studying, and teaching English.

Valpo’s seven Fulbright finalists and one alternate are Nellie Bonham ’19, Erin Brown ’18, Lauren Clark ’19, Nathaniel Greiwe ’18, Amy Kalss ’19, Jonah Koetke ’19, Kristen Morris ’19, and Moriah Carmel ’19. In the past 15 years, 37 Valpo students and alumni have been named Fulbright finalists.


FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE CHAPTERS RECEIVE NATIONAL DISTINCTIONS

APPLAUSE

This spring and summer, many of Valpo’s fraternities and sororities were honored with national awards recognizing outstanding accomplishments during the academic year. Through community growth and service, each organization has represented Valpo and provided students with exceptional opportunities to grow in every aspect of their lives — personal, professional, and spiritual.

Sigma Phi Epsilon was recognized with two awards: the Excelsior Cup for Standards and Accountability and the Sigma Phi Epsilon National Fraternity Buchanan Award for Chapter Excellence. The Buchanan Award is only given to the top 10% of chapters by Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity nationally, which is a great honor for Valpo’s chapter. In addition, Joey Teeple ’13 was honored with an award for Outstanding Chapter Advisor for Phi Sigma Kappa. The fraternity was also recognized as Most Improved Chapter from the National Fraternity this summer. The men of Phi Sigma Kappa have and continued to persevere to better themselves and bring together the Valpo community.

Pi Beta Phi was uplifted to the Beta Level Accreditation, which is the secondhighest standing in Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. The total commitment of these women shows in the honor of this designation. Lambda Chi Alpha received an award for Excellence in Recruitment from Lambda Chi Alpha National Fraternity. The Phi Delta Theta Fraternity recognized Valpo’s chapter of Phi Delta Theta for both Excellence in Philanthropy and Excellence in New Member Retention this year. The investment of the men of Lambda Chi Alpha and Phi Delta Theta demonstrates their dedication to being part of the bigger picture at Valpo.

During Valpo Homecoming 2019, Phi Delta Theta/Kappa Iota Pi and Sigma Theta/Chi Sigma Xi/Chi Omega celebrated 100th anniversary festivities, including enjoyable outings and historic bus tours around Valpo. 


LANDON FOX JOINS VALPO FOOTBALL FAMILY

ATHLETICS

Landon FoxValpo’s football program is making strides with Landon Fox, the 18th head coach in the history of the program, after he assumed the role in spring 2019. With an emphasis on player development, he is putting players in the best position possible to develop over the course of their careers at Valpo. Congratulations, Coach Fox!


TAU BETA PI LAUREATE

ENGINEERING

Congratulations to alumna Casey Main ’19 on being selected as one of only four 2019 Tau Beta Pi Laureates this year. A mechanical engineering graduate, Casey was actively involved with her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, during her time at Valpo and was also a member of the women’s swimming team. Casey marks the fifth Laureate from Valparaiso University selected for this esteemed honor since 2010, the most from any university in the nation during the same time span.


FOREVER VALPO: THE CAMPAIGN FOR OUR FUTURE

Raised to date: $218,278,310The incredible support from alumni and friends has moved Forever Valpo past $218 million, toward the goal of raising $250 million for student scholarships, faculty development, and programs.


ALPHA GAMMA DELTA

Alpha Gamma Delta Women’s Fraternity joined the Fraternity and Sorority Life family during the fall 2019 semester with 36 new members after a unanimous vote to extend the expansion invitation during their campus visit in February. 


MLK AWARD

KUDOS

MLK AwardDuring the annual MLK Convocation Celebration Service in January, the 2019 MLK award was presented to Christina Crawley ’15 Hearne for her efforts to promote racial and religious equality throughout the Valparaiso community and Northwest Indiana. Christina graduated in 2015 with a degree in social work and was involved in a number of student activities and organizations dedicated to diversity and social justice, including the Black Student Organization, Latinos in Valparaiso for Excellence, and the Diversity Concerns Committee. She is currently the director of Valpo’s Access and Accommodations Resource Center.


WINTER EXHIBITS AT THE BRAUER

ART

The Brauer will debut several captivating exhibits this January — “C. Curry Bohm: Brown County and Beyond,” “Spectral Speculations: Japanese Prints from the Ruth A. Ruege Collection,” and “Mary Bourke: Unfinished.”

The C. Curry Bohm exhibition presents a major overview of the artist’s finest works, accompanied by a book co-published by the Brauer Museum and Indiana University Press. “Spectral Speculations” takes a look at the vast collection of Japanese prints that Ruth donated to the Brauer, earning her an honorary doctorate from the University in 2016. Mary Bourke’s paintings in a style of fantastic realism will delight viewers of all ages.

To go along with these exhibits, the Brauer will host a gallery talk with C. Curry Bohm curators Daniel Kraft and Jim Ross on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. A symposium for the “Spectral Speculations” exhibit with Sandy Kita, Jennifer Prough, and featured guest Donald Jenkins will also take place on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Duesenberg Recital Hall.

For additional information on upcoming events at the Brauer, visit valpo.edu/brauer-museum-of-art.


EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING RECOGNITION

FACULTY

Randa J. Duvick, Ph.D., professor of world languages and cultures at Valparaiso University, received the American Association of Teachers of French’s 2019 Dorothy Ludwig Excellence in Teaching Award at the Post-Secondary Level. The purpose of this award is to recognize teachers who have demonstrated excellence and commitment in the teaching of the French language and French and Francophone cultures and literatures. Professor Duvick has empowered countless students through her servant leadership to settle for nothing and accomplish everything.

Professor Duvick has been a faculty member in Valpo’s foreign languages and literatures department since 1986. Her dedication to student success played a critical role in helping establish the University’s exchange relationships with three French institutions — the Université de Cergy-Pontoise, the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de La Rochelle, and the Université de Technologie de Compiègne. Her work in strengthening French and U.S. relationships is extensive and includes the creation of “Conversation Partners,” a program linking Valpo French students with exchange students from France.

In October 2018, Professor Duvick received the Officer rank of Knight (“Chevalier”) in the Order of French Academic Palms to recognize the sustained and impactful work she has done and continues to do on behalf of France and French culture.


THUMBS UP!

  • PARK

    Northwest Indiana is now home to its very own national park with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore being named as one on Feb. 15.

  • TRANSIT

    The City of Valparaiso now partners with the South Shore Line to operate a new weekday shuttle to Dune Park Station.

  • DANCE

    The 2019 Dance Marathon raised just over $72,000 to support Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago on April 7.

  • SERVICE

    More than 100 Valpo students, faculty, and staff attended service trips in Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Florida, and Ontario, Canada, during Spring Break.

  • TODAY

    Also during Spring Break, several Valpo students were spotted in the TODAY Show crowd!

  • MUSIC THERAPY

    The American Music Therapy Association has officially accredited Valpo’s music therapy program, which began enrolling students this fall.


VALPARAISO POETRY REVIEW LANDMARK

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

The spring/summer 2019 issue of the Valparaiso Poetry Review marked the anniversary of 20 years in publication. What started as an experiment by Valpo’s English department in 1998 now continues as one of the longest-running online poetry publications, especially among university electronic literary journals. The journal is edited by Edward Byrne, Ph.D., with Gregg Hertzlieb, M.Ed., and Mark Wagenaar, Ph.D., as contributing editors of the 20th edition.


NEW WEBSITE

valpo.edu has a sleek and trendy new look after a website redesign launched this summer.


ORCHESTRA ABROAD

MUSIC

Orchestra AbroadValparaiso University Symphony Orchestra traveled and performed in China following the end of the academic year. Throughout their 11-day trip, they visited a variety of sightseeing locations and landmarks including the Confucius Institute.


EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH RECOGNITION

FACULTY

Shahin Nudehi, Ph.D., P.E., associate professor of mechanical engineering and bioengineering, received the University’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Work for 2019. This award recognizes a tenured faculty member who has made significant scholarly achievements to his/her discipline and/or to public discourse. His research interests include acoustics and vibrations, electrochemistry, and nonlinear and robust control theories.

Professor Nudehi’s work with students on the James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility resulted in the implementation of the instrumentation in the control room, the electric cabinets and panels for heliostat to track the sun, and the heliostat tracking algorithms. His mentorship of students in the College of Engineering has allowed them countless opportunities to explore their potential beyond the classroom.


REGIONAL AWARD FOR DEFAMATION EXPERIENCE

APPLAUSE

The Harre Union and Student Activities won the Association of College Unions International’s award for the region for Best Collaborative Program with the Defamation Experience. The Defamation Experience is a nationally acclaimed, three-part, live, interactive performance that explores the crucial topics of race, class, religion, gender, and other identities. Approximately 500 students attended this event, which was a collaborative effort of eight different offices and organizations.


COURSES THAT GIVE BACK

COMMUNITY

Students in the Traditions in Giving and Serving in American Life course, led by Martin Buinicki, Ph.D., professor of English and Walter G. Fredrich Professor of American Literature, presented four checks totaling $13,000 to local nonprofit organizations. The students were also recognized for the best student blog by the Learning by Giving Foundation and received an additional $3,000. This brings their total funds over the past 10 years to an incredible $95,500.


NEW VICE PRESIDENT STEPS INTO STUDENT AFFAIRS

STAFF

Julie DeGrawJulie E. DeGraw, Ph.D., joined the Valpo family as vice president for student affairs in August 2019. Vice President DeGraw brings nearly 30 years of experience in higher education and is dedicated to bringing even stronger opportunities for student advocacy to Valpo’s student affairs team. Welcome to Valpo, Vice President DeGraw!


NEH FUNDS WELCOME PROJECT

APPLAUSE

Valpo’s Welcome Project will expand its storytelling through a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Digital Projects for the Public program. The project, “Flight Paths: Mapping Our Changing Neighborhoods,” is a multimedia approach to help engage and analyze the factors contributing to de-urbanization in different communities and regions in the U.S., specifically in Gary and Northwest Indiana.

The Welcome Project gives opportunities for the Valpo community to go beyond what they learn in the classroom and learn truly exceptional things about the experiences right in their backyard. The grant will allow Welcome Project co-directors Allison Schuette ’93, MFA, associate professor of English, and Elizabeth Wuerffel ’00, MFA, associate professor of art, to create an interactive website along with a team of historians, geographers, documentarians, designers, IT specialists, and programmers.


DID YOU KNOW ?

Valpo students dedicate more than 247,000 hours to community outreach and service-learning each year. The 2019 Welcome Week Service Project brought first-year students to the Gabis Arboretum to help with planting, weeding, and removing invasive species.


ULTIMATE FRISBEE

For the first time in program history, the Valparaiso University Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team competed in the USA Ultimate D-III National College Championship in Texas.


VALPO ALUMNI AWARDED ORR FELLOWSHIPS

SCHOLARS

Congratulations to the two Valpo alumni who received Orr Fellowship offers upon graduation, recognizing them as future business leaders of Indianapolis. Valpo’s two Orr Fellowship recipients are Nathaniel Bouman ’19 and Jake Landgraf ’19. These remarkable young men are completing a two-year, postgraduate program combining a full-time position at an Indianapolis-based company and a curriculum focused on community involvement, professional development, and leadership. Nathaniel is working at T2 Systems, and Jake is working at Ascend Indiana.


ECONOMICS AND THE ARTS PARTNERSHIP

SCHOLARSHIP

In a partnership between the Brauer Museum of Art and her Economics and the Arts class, Professor Sara Gundersen, Ph.D., invited her students to participate in an interesting activity: guessing the values of 10 pieces from the Brauer Museum of Art’s collection. Students prepared for the activity with a class visit by a museum appraiser, who shared stories of fakes, fraud, and extreme swings in art values.


MENTAL HEALTH AND COUNSELING PROGRAM RE-ACCREDITED

NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) has re-accredited the Valpo Graduate School’s clinical mental health and counseling program through March 2021. The master of arts program prepares students for rewarding careers as licensed mental health counselors. Alumni of the program will be able to work in a wide variety of places, including in private practice, drug and alcohol treatment centers, hospitals, family therapy centers, community agencies, crisis centers, and trauma recovery centers.


LIBRARY DEAN: IT’S OFFICIAL

FACULTY

Trisha MilehamAfter serving as the interim dean since April 2018, Trisha Mileham, M.A., was named dean of the library in January 2019. Dean Mileham joined Valpo’s faculty in 1998, was promoted to associate professor in 2004, and was granted tenure in 2005. In 2008, she was named director of research services, managing the teambased department that encompasses library instruction, reference, circulation, programming, and outreach services. Dean Mileham holds a master of arts in library and information science from the University of Iowa.


URSCHEL UPDATES COMPETITION

BUSINESS

Epsilon Nu Tau, Valpo’s professional entrepreneurship fraternity, held an “Urschel Updates” competition in April, in which students pitched proposals for cosmetic updates to the building. This experiential learning opportunity allowed for the practical application of students’ coursework while also giving feedback on their student experience. The proposals were judged on impact, design, and feasibility by College of Business faculty and administrators, and all ideas are being considered by Dean Jim Brodzinski, Ph.D., for possible implementation in the future. Congratulations to Skye Schoedel ’19 for being selected as the competition winner!


VALPO VIBES BRINGS AJR TO CAMPUS

STUDENT LIFE

With the support of the president’s office, the University Programming Council organized another incredible Valpo Vibes Music Festival. Bryce Vine and the Wldlfe opened for headliner AJR, who brought songs off their new album to the evening concert event to celebrate the conclusion of the academic year. Students danced under the night sky during AJR’s set before returning to coursework as finals week neared.


HONORING TWO FORMER MUSIC PROFESSORS

MUSIC

Valpo’s music department, in partnership with Alumni Engagement, hosted a celebratory event earlier this year to honor two former faculty members, professors emeriti William Eifrig ’55 and Philip Gehring ’84H. The event included a recital where numerous alumni performed in honor of the lasting legacy of these two men. Attendees also heard from current music professors Sangeeta Swamy, Ph.D, and Stacy Maugans, D.M., about the future of the department and its new music therapy program.


CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION AND U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT RANKINGS

CAMPUS

Valparaiso University was recently elevated to the National Doctoral/ Professional Universities category by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which U.S. News & World Report uses for their annual college rankings.

The new classification shows Valpo’s total commitment to advanced degree program offerings, allowing each Valpo student to reach their full potential. The classification also puts Valpo in the same U.S. News & World Report National Universities category as University of Chicago and Princeton.

“For Valparaiso University, this new Carnegie Classification both recognizes Valpo’s national stature as well as its commitment to provide students with a path-seeking and career-defining education,” says Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., president of Valparaiso University.

In addition to being featured for the first time on the U.S. News & World Report National Universities list, Valpo’s College of Engineering was recognized as No. 13 in the nation for Undergraduate Engineering Programs. This ranking is up from No. 18 just last year. The College of Engineering continues to climb on this list thanks in part to the expansion of new program offerings in bioengineering, environmental engineering, and integrated business and engineering. 

Valparaiso University was also named the No. 29 Best Value University in the nation among all National Universities and featured on the Best Undergraduate Teaching, Best Business Programs, Best Colleges for Veterans, and A+ Schools for B Students ranking lists.

This new classification expands Valpo’s national profile beyond the Midwest and allows students to be part of something bigger. The University is committed to offering a path-seeking, career-defining education and preparing the next generation of Valpo servant-leaders.


ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING LAB DEDICATED

ENGINEERING

During Homecoming Weekend 2019, the Richard E. Beumer, P.E., Environmental Engineering Lab was dedicated in front of a crowd of alumni, students, College of Engineering faculty and staff, and other members of the Valpo community. President Heckler thanked Judith “Judy” Rockett ’60 Beumer and Richard “Dick” Beumer ’59 for their generosity in providing funds for this new lab, which will allow students to study how to “take care of God’s creations.” The lab will support Valpo’s new environmental engineering program, which began in fall 2019.

Their gift supports Forever Valpo: The Campaign for Our Future, a $250 million endowment Campaign which will secure permanent resources for student scholarships, faculty development, and programs that prepare students for lives of leadership, service, and generosity.