Aleaya Batchler of Peru High School and Ashley Nguyen of Taylor High School stand with their awards at the 19th Annual High School Art Exhibition. See more pictures on Flickr.

The annual High School Art Show includes artwork created by juniors and seniors from Kokomo High School, Mississenewa High School, Peru High School, Tri-Central High School, and Western High School.

The exhibition, which opened with an awards ceremony Wednesday, May 28, continues through June 14 in the gallery, in Upper Alumni Hall. Gallery Director Susan Skoczen encouraged people to visit and see the drawings, paintings, photography, ceramics, mixed media, and sculptures included in the show.

"The level of work being created at the high school level is quite impressive, and we are honored to showcase this work," she said. "People should see this show to know how important art is in the curriculum, not just in high schools, but at all levels of education."

Award winners included Ashley Nguyen, Taylor High School, best of 2D; Kaylee Anderson, Peru, best of mixed media and an honorable mention; Aleaya Batchler, Peru, best of 3D; and Cortney Zickmund, Tri-Central, juror's choice. Additional honorable mention winners were Karissa Bates, Peru; and Hadley DeWeese, Tri-Central.

"The students in this show dedicated hours upon hours of time and effort into making these pieces," Skoczen said. "They do this because it is their passion and primary interest. It is evident in the high level of work in this show."

Admission and parking are free. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, call the IU Kokomo Art Gallery at 765-455-9523 or go to iuk.edu/gallery

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Jason VanAlstine

VanAlstine, assistant professor of economics at Indiana University Kokomo, was recently inducted into the organization, which has the goal of promoting and sustaining excellence in teaching among IU faculty.

"FACET includes a lot of the faculty members I have looked up to as mentors since I came to IU Kokomo," said VanAlstine. "To be a part of that group is a big honor. They are very passionate about teaching. I am excited to be part of this group I can learn from, and hopefully others can learn from me as well."

Michael Tulley, acting dean of the School of Business, called VanAlstine "one of the School of Business' most engaged, student-centered, creative and effective instructors," and said he is the kind of faculty member the organization was created to recognize.

"His students leave IU Kokomo well-prepared for success in the world of business, which is by far the best evidence of his exceptional classroom skills," Tulley said. "He brings a high level of enthusiasm to all his involvements on this campus, whether as a coach, student organization advisor, or a rising star faculty member in this dynamic academic unit. The continued success of the business school and the campus depends on faculty such as Jason, who can touch and inspire students through his high-quality teaching, mentoring, and modeling of good academic habits and citizenship."

VanAlstine had planned to be an accountant, but discovered a talent for economics while he was an undergraduate. He accepted a teaching assistantship to pay for his graduate studies at IU, and was surprised by how much he enjoyed teaching.

"Once I taught a couple of classes, I realized that's what I wanted to do," he said. "I really like working with college level students. You have students who have lived with their parents their whole lives, and by the time they complete their degrees, they are expected to leave home and start their lives. I like my role in helping them transition though that stage in life."

In addition to teaching, VanAlstine coaches the IU Kokomo men's and women's cross country teams, and is co-sponsor of the Enactus student organization. He appreciated support from Chulkov and Dianne Roden, professor of finance, who led his peer review, and Julie Saam, associate professor of education, who guided him through the FACET selection process

FACET was established in 1989 as the service oriented teaching academy of IU. Members are chosen annually through a peer review process. Each year, members are involved in collaborative activities at the campus, university, and national level, promoting inquiry and engagement in teaching and learning.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Students in Jessica Henderson's Henderson's Promoting Health Behaviors class at Indiana University Kokomo researched the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes the majority of cervical cancers. They developed educational brochures, posters, and other materials for the Howard County Health Department, and then tested their effectiveness to more than 200 people.

Student Sarah Brown said students worked hard on researching, because it is important to present fact-based information, to dispel myths about vaccinations. The HPV vaccine has met some resistance, because it is for a sexually transmitted disease.

"We wanted parents to understand, this is the most studied vaccine ever, and it's safe for your child," she said. "We have to change parents' beliefs, so they understand that vaccines protect, not harm."

Adriana Sanchez, whose group created materials in both Spanish and English, was surprised by how little information is widely available about the vaccine.

"We didn't know there were so many people out there unaware of it," she said. "We know at least one person who looked at our materials and then took her son for his first dose of the vaccine."

Henderson said their work is important, because Howard County's HPV vaccination rate is below the national average. It gave students a chance to be health educators, and to make a difference in their community, using knowledge and skills gained in their health sciences classes. The health department benefitted with high-quality educational materials.

"In the short term, higher HPV vaccination rates will lower the number of HPV infections in the community," she said. "Long term, it also will lower HPV-related cancer rates in the future."

Henderson said both the health department and the students benefit from the project.

"The students became more familiar with public health agencies, and had an opportunity to work on a real life project, which has the benefit to be used in the community," she said. "The Howard County Health Department and the Indiana Immunization Coalition benefitted from the student' specific range of knowledge, and creative skills, to create messages for health officials and parents of teens and young adults."

Each group focused on a target market — parents of boys, parents of girls, parents of teens, and Spanish speaking parents, for example — and developed materials for their audience. The 25 students test marketed the materials to more than 200 people, representing their targets, and made adjustments based on their responses.

Renee Canady was amazed by some of the reactions.

"I talked to one mother who is totally against this vaccine, because it is for a sexually transmitted disease," she said, adding that she hopes she influenced that mother to change her mind by reminding her that 50,000 girls today will develop cervical cancer in their lifetimes. This vaccine provides protection.

The groups focusing on boys used sports-related themes, with slogans like "Guard your Guy," with a football logo, and "Take the Shot," which used IU Kokomo basketball player Aaron Knupp as its face. They were surprised that so few people — including clinicians — knew that the HPV vaccine is recommended for boys.

While men cannot get cervical cancer if they contract HPV, they can pass the virus to a female partner, who could then get cervical cancer.

"When it comes to HPV, females are only half the equation," said student Don Davidson. "Protecting males also protects females."

After completing their projects, the students, who worked in groups, presented their materials to Jennifer Sexton and Karen Long, both from the Howard County Health Department, and Lori Lovett, from the Indiana Immunization Coalition.

Sexton appreciates having factual, well-researched materials available.

"We have to get past people thinking 'sexually transmitted disease,' and thinking of cancer prevention," she said. "We will definitely be able to use these materials."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Emily Ross

Her skills, demonstrated as editor-in-chief of Indiana University Kokomo's literary and arts magazine, and editing The Correspondent student newspaper, lead her to a prestigious assistantship, one that will pay for her to earn her graduate degree.

Ross, who graduated in May with a degree in English, was chosen through a competitive application process to edit the Journal of Teaching Writing, as she completes a Master of Arts in English at IUPUI.

"I'm excited to be out in the real world, working on my future," said Ross, who is from Forest. "I've looked at the classes available, and they're all classes that interest me. I'm also gaining publishing experience, which gives me even more career options."

In addition to editing, she also completed a teaching assistantship at IU Kokomo, an experience usually reserved for graduate students, said Paul Cook, assistant professor of English.

"I know her involvement here made her stand out among the candidates when she applied, and her application materials were perfectly edited," he said. "Her experiences were not just in the classroom, but in the real world, and that made a difference. The journal she will edit is one of the flagship journals in writing research, and is rather prestigious. This will be a valuable opportunity for her to advance her career."

The Journal of Teaching Writing is published by the Indiana Teachers of Writing, and sponsored by IUPUI. It includes articles for teachers of all levels of writing, from preschool through university.

It will be interesting reading for Ross, who wants to teach first-year college level writing classes after earning her master's degree.

"Learning to write well is vital to every part of a successful college experience," Ross said. "There are fun, creative ways to teach people to be good writers, and they need those skills, no matter what major they chose. I like that it is interesting, and not just for English majors."

Her teaching assistantship at IU Kokomo solidified her career choice. She began by observing, then graded some papers and helped develop a new tool to grade writing. Finally, she taught a class on literary analysis, and was pleased that a student said her lesson was helpful.

"The assistantship helped me learn there's a lot of behind the scenes that goes into teaching," she said. "Once I got up there, I felt like it came naturally."

Ross began her college career as an education major, planning to teach high school English. Early field experiences convinced her that high school was not for her, so she changed her major to English. She graduated as the outstanding student in that program.

"English is more a degree on how to think, rather than what to think," she said. It's a springboard for a lot of careers. English covered all of my bases as far as what I was interested in, and what I wanted to do."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Shanique Gilliam (L) and Keeana Walton (R) draw during Introduction to Creative Arts.

As she grew older, though, she drifted away to other interests, putting aside her interest in drawing.

This summer, however, she's picked up her crayons — this time of the Conté variety, rather than Crayola — and rediscovered her inner artist, taking the Introduction to Creative Arts class at Indiana University Kokomo.

"Most kids love to color and draw, and to sing, and tell stories," she said. "Somewhere along the way, we lose that. This class brings that back, and you realize you can still be an artist."

The six-week class includes viewing video performance of the opera La Boheme, then its modern counterpart Rent, and singing selections from the movie. In addition, students study author Isak Dinesen and the art of storytelling, learn about painter Georges Seurat, and create artworks using pointillism – where the artist creates patterns of dots to form a picture.

JoAnn Kaiser, lecturer in humanities, teaches the class, and said her goal is to nurture an interest in exploring art, and to rekindle the love of art that most people have as children.

"We want to help them remember what it was like to be a kid, before someone told us we were not good enough at singing, drawing, or telling stories," Kaiser said. "We want to re-energize them, teach them to sing, to draw, and to tell a story. You also learn about culture and history by studying the arts."

The class includes a field trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which Gilliam found to be inspiring.

She took her daughter, who is 7, to the museum, and said neither of them had been before the class.

"I knew it was there, but I never thought to go," said Gilliam, a health sciences major from Kokomo. "I had no idea admission was free, either. I look forward to going again."

Her classmate Angela Graff, Converse, most enjoyed the storytelling experience, with each student telling about an experience he or she had.

"You saw the lighter side of people," she said. "I felt like I really bonded with everyone."

She was apprehensive about drawing, but also looked forward to attempting to sketch with the Conté crayons, which are square drawing instruments made of powdered graphite in a wax or clay base.

"My stick figures are pretty lame, so this should be interesting," she said.

That's OK, Kaiser said — the point of the class is not to produce great artists, but for non-artists to find joy in art.

"It's fun to see that 'Aha!' moment, when a student succeeds at singing with the group, or drawing, or telling a good story," she said. "They realize they can do it, and it was fun."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Commencement 2014

Graduates are listed by hometown. Those receiving degrees include:

Argos

Alissa Leigh Bair, Bachelor of General Studies

Sara Lynn Bair, Bachelor of General Studies

Atlanta

Jeri Jo Zawadzki, Bachelor of Arts

Bringhurst

Brock Andrew Richardson, Bachelor of Science in Education

Burlington

Hannah Elizabeth Brewster, Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts

Burnettsville

Duana Paige McAninch, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Camden

Megan Dawn McGrew, Bachelor of Science in Education

Converse

Hayley M. Bunker, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Ivy Rashell Curtis, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Paula Sue Melcher, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Delphi

Leslie Marie Kayser, Bachelor of Arts

Denver

Aaron David Brinker, Bachelor of General Studies

Terri L. Drake, Bachelor of Arts

Tristan Michelle Hippensteel, Associate of Science in Radiography

Elwood

Christopher James Capps, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Meagan Sue Davis, Bachelor of Arts

Fairmount

Tennielle D'Shae Glasser, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

John Patrick Williams, Bachelor of Science in Education

Farmland

Andrea Nicole Stevenson, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Fishers

Nkeiruka Ogochukwu Ugwu, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Flora

Nicole Lynn Brubaker, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Carl Blaine Holsinger, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Forest

Steven Alexander Amos, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Kaitlin Diane Townsend, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Fort Wayne

Heather Nicole Brisentine, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Frankfort

Amanda Lynne Gaunt, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Leslie Michele Phillips, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Tiffany Renee Roberts-Herrera, Bachelor of Science in Education

Shaina Rene Shirar, Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science

Alin Sotelo, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Ashley Renee Spraker, Bachelor of Science in Education

Frankton

Kristen Nicole Wilhoite, Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science

Galveston

Emily Janell Barnard, Bachelor of Science in Business

Hollie Charlene Boyles, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Noah James Cicalo, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Isaac Francis Sprague, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Steven Eli Wright, Bachelor of Arts

Greentown

Nathan Lee Courter, Bachelor of Arts

Heather Louise Fincher, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Joseph Robert Fincher, Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences

Amber Joy Howell, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Lisa Rae Millspaugh, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Matthew Russell Rasmussen, Bachelor of Arts

Hudson

Kayla Rae Boggs, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Indianapolis

Patrisha Lee Bontrager, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Debra Lynn Carpenter, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Tina Marie Faulk, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Jaclyn Opal Kreps, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Bradley David Reames, Bachelor of Science in Public Administration

Yetunde Bosede Sowunmi, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Sheron Wayila, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Jonesboro

Melissa Sue Hathaway, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Kirklin

Shannon Lee Hoffman, Bachelor of General Studies

Kokomo

Lindsey Nicole Abell, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Kara Beth Abresch, Bachelor of Science in Sociology

Lauretta Ellen Aleshire, Bachelor of Science in Education

Natalie Marie Alexander, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Christopher Ray Alford, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication

Chad Michael Barlow, Bachelor of Science in Education, Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science

Jennifer Lee Barry, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Amanda Barton, Bachelor of Science in Education

Macie Renae Bassett, Bachelor of Arts

Aaron Michael Bird, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Michelle Lynn Bird, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

William Allen Black, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Ashton Kensi Bray, Bachelor of Science in Education

David Alan Brinkley, Associate of Science in Radiography

Ian Nathaniel Buchanan, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication

Courtney Eulaine Calhoun, Bachelor of Arts

Kimberly A. Catt, Bachelor of General Studies

Victoria Ann Colaizzi, Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts

Bryan Christopher Crow, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication

Kenzie Lynn Daniel, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Kalie Ann Davis, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication

Nicholas Andrew Davis, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Jennifer Lynn Dessing, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Bethann Duly, Bachelor of Arts

Anna Elizabeth Ely, Bachelor of Arts

Whitney L. Farris, Master of Business Administration

Kelly Marie Foreit, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Kimberly Renea Fort, Master of Public Management

Kyle Austin Galloway, Bachelor of General Studies

Corey David Gascho, Bachelor of Arts

Stephen M. Geiselman, Bachelor of General Studies

Cheyenne Elisabeth Gilbert, Bachelor of Science in Business

Alyson Marie Goldner, Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science

Stephen Adrian Green, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication

Gavin Allen Gregory, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Margaret Anne Grinstead, Bachelor of Science in Education

Brandon Michael Hainlen, Bachelor of Science in Business

Joshua David Hall, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Venetta Hatcher, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Daniel J. Henning, Associate of Science in Radiography

Matthew Stephen Heredos, Bachelor of Arts

Jennifer Lynn Hiatt, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Kasey Sierra High, Bachelor of Arts

Anthony James Hill, Bachelor of Science in Business

Kayla Ruth Howard, Bachelor of Arts

Lauren Christine James, Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences

Alexandria Rae Jewell, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Allyson Jewell, Bachelor of Science in Education

Tyler Keck, Bachelor of Science in Education

Karen S. Kinsey, Master of Science in Nursing

Chantel L. Laudenschlager, Bachelor of General Studies

Contessa Lawson, Master of Business Administration

Andrew James Lucas, Bachelor of Science in Business

Lucien Charles Madding, Bachelor of General Studies

Scott Alan Manthe, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

Joelynn Nicole Marconi, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Nickolas Cole Maynard, Bachelor of Science in Biology

Ian T. Meck, Bachelor of Arts

Joseph Meck, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Tia Leigh McKay, Master of Business Administration

Justin Miller, Associate of Science in Radiography

Kyle Joseph Miller, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Benjamin Morgan Mooney, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Carly Renee Moore, Associate of Science in Radiography

Cameron Morris, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Rosella Marie Mossholder, Bachelor of General Studies

Samantha Jane Myers, Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences

April Rena Name, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication

Adam Wade Neumann, Bachelor of Science in Business

Courtney Kaye Perez, Associate of Science in Radiography

Alexander Ray Pier, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Bachelor of Science in Education

Eva Larissa Pier, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Thomas Uttam Poudel, Bachelor of Science in Business

Lindsey Osborne Pounds, Bachelor of General Studies

Rachelle Louise Purcell, Associate of Arts in General Studies

Jillian Nicole Redmond, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Patricia Elaine Reeves, Bachelor of General Studies

David Lee Riley, Bachelor of General Studies

Karissa Lynn Roberts, Bachelor of Science in Education

Victoria L. Shone, Bachelor of Science in Education

James Charles Smith, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Nathan Smith, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Rachel A. Smith, Bachelor of Science in Education

Tyler Cannon Sparks, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Daniel Joseph Speight, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Dusti N. Speight, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Sabrina Lynn Stahl, Bachelor of Science in Education

Brittany N. Stallsworth, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Emily Joelle Sutherland, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Andrew Jay Swick, Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences

Richard L. Truax, Bachelor of General Studies

Bethany Marie Vandiver, Bachelor of Arts

Ashley Michele VanSkyock, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Ashley Marie Vogel, Bachelor of Science in Education

Shelby Maria Waggoner, Bachelor of Arts

Whitley Paige Wilson, Associate of Science in Radiography

Anthony Lee Wood, Bachelor of Science in Business

Logansport

Danielle Jessica Carrier, Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences

Katie Lynn Hutsell, Bachelor of Science in Education

Matthew David Jensen, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics

Haleigh Janae Johnson, Bachelor of Science in Education

Renate Elizabeth McCullum, Bachelor of Arts

Sarah Alice Middleton, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Jenna Marie Pfeiffer, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Maria Pineda, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Dustin Jay Reeser, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Michael A. Stipes, Bachelor of Science in Business

Macy

Holly Michelle Manns, Bachelor of Science in Education

Marion

Amanda Rose Byrd, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Brittany N. Hunt, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Brittney Nichole Hunt, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Jeanine Mikesell, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Kayla Brooke Phillips, Associate of Science in Radiography

Careena L. Smithley, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Pamela S. Weesner, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

McCordsville

David Justin Moree, Bachelor of Arts

Miami

Brittany L. Harp, Bachelor of Arts

Mishawaka

Aleesia Ann Worden, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Noblesville

Nevin Hunter Bowden, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Le'Anna Le'Kaye Brown, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Shayla Suzanne Caddell, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Shayne Morgan Collier, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Shelley Dawn Collier, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Anna Elizabeth DeVaney, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Heather Lynn Fakhouri, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Marie Ann LaFever, Bachelor of Science in Education

Evan J. O'Connor, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Grant William Otis, Master of Business Administration

Joshua Alan Weaver, Bachelor of Science in Business

Mason Clifford Zook, Bachelor of Science in Business

Pendleton

Shannon Marie Gustin, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Peru

Krystyn Marie Bell, Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts

Melanie Melissa Cantu, Bachelor of General Studies

Robert William Justin Clark, Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science

Donald Greer Davidson, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

John Gilbert Ingalsbe, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Faith A. Kingery, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

David Cyril Lapan, Bachelor of Arts

Amy Christine Lennon, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Cynthia Michelle Loe, Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences

Ryan Dwayne Montgomery, Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems

Craig Alan Petrowsky, Bachelor of General Studies

Gerald B. Renfrow, Bachelor of General Studies

Tiffiny Marie Sears, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Kathryn Marie Sicking, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Danielle Elizabeth Steele, Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences

Navi Lynn Vernon, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

Tracy Ann Wibel, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Pittsboro

Johanna Kyung Hwa Maturana, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Rochester

Alexa J. Olinger, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Corie Amber Pemberton, Bachelor of General Studies

Rossville

Brittany Ann Royer, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Royal Center

Eli J. Frame, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Russiaville

Laura Leah Brown, Bachelor of Science in Sociology

Ashley Renee Cottingham, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Corenn Duke, Associate of Science in Radiography

Kaleb Hollingsworth, Bachelor of Science in Business

Kylie Krystyne Imlay, Bachelor of Science in Education

Emily Katherine Ross, Bachelor of Arts

Matthew James Ryan, Bachelor of General Studies

Theresa A. Stewart, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science in New Media Communication

Jenelle I. Turner, Bachelor of Science in Business

Sara Regina Willis, Bachelor of Arts

Sharpsville

Kyle William Dickover, Bachelor of Science in Business

Katelyn Brooke Howell, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Ashley Marie Miller, Bachelor of Science in Business

Stephanie Parton, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Star City

Adam James Baer, Bachelor of General Studies

Hannah Hendryx, Bachelor of Science in Education

Swayzee

Nicholas Anthony Rademaker, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Sweetser

Brittnea L. Shaw, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Tipton

Andrew T. Boehner, Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Pamela L. Plain, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences

Natalie Suzanne Smith, Associate of Science in Radiography

Justin Paul Summers, Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science, Bachelor of Science in Education

Van Buren

Holly A. Kerschner, Master of Business Administration

Heather Shively, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Wabash

Joshua Doyle Poor, Bachelor of General Studies

Walton

Sarah Elizabeth Hull, Bachelor of Science in Sociology

Margaret Ellen Meadows, Bachelor of General Studies

Michael John Snook, Bachelor of Science in Education

Warren

Deeonna Nicole Eltzroth, Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology

Westfield

Taurai Magombo, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Kelsi Lynn Maue, Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts

West Lafayette

Therese Marie Comery, Bachelor of Science in Education

Windfall

Elizabeth Marie Miller, Bachelor of Science in Education

Zionsville

Samantha Rena Holdgrafer, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

North Little Rock, Ark.

Oleatha Ann Love, Bachelor of General Studies

Edinburg, Ill.

Cheryl A. Sneed, Bachelor of General Studies

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Rick Aniskiewicz speaks during the retirement celebration. See more pictures on Flickr.

Rick Aniskiewicz, professor of sociology; Ann Cameron, associate professor of English, Dinah Downhour, coordinator of the nursing lab, and Cindy Ison, senior lecturer in music, were honored at a retirement reception recently, honoring their many years of service to the campus.

Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke noted that Aniskiewicz and Cameron both have been at IU Kokomo about 35 years, about half of the campus' 70 years, and Downhour and Ison also have had long careers here, teaching many students.

"It isn't just about the total years of service, however, but the life they put into this institution while they were here," she said. "They played major roles in the development of IU Kokomo. We appreciate their service, and wish them well as they retire."

Aniskiewicz came to IU Kokomo in 1980, and has served as a sociology professor, instructor in the freshman learning community, and mentor to countless students. He has received the Claude Rich Excellence in Teaching Award, and participated in IU's Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET). He was chairperson of the sociology, history, and political science department for 12 years, when it was called social and behavioral science.

In more than 35 years at IU Kokomo, Ann Cameron has taught more than 30 different courses, including many she created herself. She has been honored with the Trustee's Teaching Award and the Claude Rich Excellence in Teaching Award, and was chairperson of the Department of Humanities. She has written more than 100 entries in reference works and spent more than a decade indexing works for the MLA International Bibliography.

Dinah Downhour has managed and coordinated the nursing lab since 1984. She makes sure the lab has the equipment needed, maintains it, repairs it, and teaches students and faculty how to use it. She also became the School of Nursing's technology expert, and is its web manager.

Ison taught music and education at IU Kokomo from 1985 to 2000. She returned in 2002 as a lecturer in music, and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2008. She has taught 26 different courses. She has received the Trustee's Teaching Award, the student body teaching award, and two Claude Rich Excellence in Teaching awards. She also assists the campus theatre program

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Vinny Vincent, assistant director of financial aid, invites not only students, but also their families, to attend the events, to learn more about smart money management.

"Money is a tough subject to talk about," he said. "For many of us, money is a subject our parents talk about behind closed doors. That means many students don't know how to discuss finances, and didn't learn how to use it wisely. My goal is to break the cycle of silence and make finances something they aren't afraid to talk about, and to learn more."

Topics include making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in order to qualify for financial aid and graduate on time; investment and retirement planning, and game nights with a financial literacy twist, leading up to a fall kick off block party.

All events are at 5:30 p.m. in the Kelley Student Center, Room 114. They include:

• Wednesday, July 2: SAP — More than just academics

• Thursday, July 14: Trivial Pursuit, financial edition

• Wednesday, July 30: Protecting your future — Investment and retirement planning

• Thursday, August 7: Celebratory financial celebrities

• Wednesday, August 13: Block party and fall kick off

Vincent said his goal is for students to learn how to handle their money early, to avoid making financial mistakes that will follow them into their careers.

"We want students to begin or continue their college careers with smart money decisions," he said. "I want them to be empowered to talk about money, and to be able to tell a friend they don't have the money to do something everyone else is doing, rather than building credit card debt. I want them to make good decisions academically, so they graduate on time, with as little student loan debt as possible."

For more information about these events and those offered throughout the year, contact Vincent at (765) 455-9451 or jrvincen@iuk.edu

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Bekah Martin prepares vegetarian sushi. For more pictures from the class, visit the album on Flickr.

There's something missing from the glaze, but she can't quite put her finger on it.

Her instructor, Kim Mossburg, samples a bite, talking softly to herself.

"The sauce, the sauce, how to balance the sauce," she says, then suggests trying cinnamon, honey, and less lemon, in different bowls, to see which one creates just the flavor blend they seek.

The mango upside down cake is one of the tamer dishes Indiana University Kokomo students are creating this summer session, in a class formally titled Cultural Gustatory Perceptions, but better known as bizarre foods.

The course includes not only traditional classroom studies, but cooking and presentation time in the kitchen and dining room at Elite Banquet & Conference Center.

"We're studying different styles of food presentation and preparation, and how the diversity and uniqueness of the ingredients impacts your perception of the food," said Mossburg, a registered dietician and adjunct faculty member. "This is interesting culinary research. It opens your eyes to the many different foods available, and how you can balance the flavors."

Students work in groups to make a presentation one time during the session. On this particular day, students prepare and plate sweet nori crisps, made from seaweed, edamame and pea bruschetta, green bean and fennel salad with pecans, vegetarian sushi with quinoa, beet hummus, and grape, feta cheese, a millet burger on pumpkin bread, and walnut pizzas with balsamic syrup.

Students not presenting also cook, preparing for their own presentations later in the summer session. Mossburg is grateful to Tom Trine, owner of the banquet and conference center, for letting the class use the kitchen.

Cole, a health sciences major from Sharpsville, made the mango upside down cake with Sarah Brown, from Walton. They've enjoyed the hands-on learning the class offers, even if they haven't liked all of the foods they've tried.

Chocolate pasta may sound delicious in theory, Brown said, but tasted bitter.

"It smelled good, but yuck," she said. "The tomato pasta was much better."

Their presentation is about how the way you plate the food makes a difference in people's willingness to try it. They plan to use a license plate from Hawaii, topped with a glass plate, to present their dessert.

Cole hopes to work as a dietician with children, and said because children can be picky eaters, the tips she's learned should help in her career.

Brown and Cole gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to the millet burgers created by their classmates, Aricka Lennon and Erika Freeman, who explained what was in them before cutting it into small pieces for the six tasters to evaluate on texture, flavor, and presentation.

They actually created two burgers, made with millet, onion, beets, zucchini, eggs, and lemon, with an olive oil dressing and a sauce of cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla. One also included fennel seeds, to see if the tasters could notice they were there.

Brown said she definitely could taste a difference.

Erica Goodman, who admits to being a picky eater, tried an avocado for the first time during the class, and was surprised by how much she liked it.

"I wouldn't have tried it if I hadn't had to for this class," the Kokomo resident said. "It definitely opened my eyes to all kinds of foods available."

She made a fruit pizza, using quinoa instead of flour for the crust.

"That gives it better nutritional value than a regular crust," she said. "We learned how to make tortilla chips from better ingredients, too, which is huge for me. I love my tortilla chips."

Cora Peterson, Logansport, made a black raspberry fig delight, milling her own millet flour in a coffee grinder. She found the recipe online and tweaked it to use the ingredients discussed in class, she said.

She was less excited to try to nori chips, as she's never eaten seaweed.

"It was....different," she said. "This has been fun, because I like to try new things."

Mossburg told all the students to be prepared to taste foods not typically consumed in American culture. They've cooked with unfamiliar grains, such as teff and amaranth, and tried some new spices. She said, though, they are not eating insects, which some of them had worried would be included.

"It's amazing what some other cultures enjoy eating," she said. "It's fun to look at pictures of how they serve some of the more unusual dishes, and imagine how they might taste. I hope the students come away from this class with a greater respect for food diversity and culture. It will expand their thinking in the area of diet, and expand what they are willing to prepare and eat, which is a good thing."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Harlee Phillips

Her sense of adventure takes her to Beijing, China, next school year to learn the language fluently — and a full scholarship makes it possible.

Phillips, a junior in the Indiana University Kokomo School of Nursing, received a $10,000 Study in China Scholarship, from the Chinese Scholarship Council and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). The scholarship covers her tuition, campus housing, health insurance, and travel and conference fees.

"I'm now able to realize a dream I never would have been able to on my own," Phillips said. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime."

She begins classes in Mandarin in September at the Beijing Language and Culture University. Her travel experience with IU Kokomo gave her the courage to consider a yearlong program, she said.

"I learned so much from IU Kokomo's programs in South Korea, that it made me want to learn about another country," Phillips, from Kokomo, said. "I've always had an interest in foreign culture in general, and going to South Korea with the School of Nursing made me want to step it up and go overseas for a full school year."

Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke congratulated Phillips on the scholarship.

"We are proud of Harlee for securing such a competitive scholarship," she said. "One of our goals is to increase the number of IU Kokomo students who travel overseas, both on semester long experiences or short term opportunities. It is important that we graduate students who are prepared to live and work in our global world."

Dean Linda Wallace called Phillips "the perfect candidate for this opportunity," because of her previous experiences.

"After meeting Korean exchange students on our campus, Harlee traveled to Korea by herself to see her new friends in their home country," Wallace said. "Since then, she has been a wonderful hostess when we have guests from Korea. She has a similar passion for learning about China, and she is very knowledgeable about Chinese and Korean cultures. She is well on her way to being a global citizen."

Phillips is excited to experience China as a student, rather than as a tourist, and to learn a new language.

"I really like learning about culture, and I can't wait to experience China's history, from ancient to modern," she said. "A lot of people don't know anything about China except what they hear on TV or read. I want to get to see it in person and learn about it from that perspective, rather than just what I hear from home."

She will live in student housing at the Beijing Language and Cultural University, which provides programs for students from all over the world. In addition to her classes, she can participate in travel programs to see more of the country on weekends.

The experience will make her a better nurse, because she's learning cultural sensitivity.

"My patients won't all be like me, and share my culture and beliefs," she said. "Your culture shapes what you want from your medical care providers. I can be aware of that, and ask questions, to give the best care possible."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Science Rocks! summer science camp. See more pictures on Flickr.

Nearly 20 area middle schools students tested water samples for pollutants, studied the stars through telescopes, experienced the impact of exercise with heart rate monitors, detected bacteria on common surfaces, and learned first aid, all at the annual Indiana University Kokomo Science Rocks! summer camp.

For Noah Gallaher, who will be a freshman at Kokomo High School in August, the free camp has become an annual tradition. He's attended three of the six years the campus has offered it, and says he learns something new each time.

"This year I gained a new fascination with astronomy," he said. "I like learning. I get to do neat stuff here I don't get to do in other places."

IU Kokomo faculty lead sessions in geology, chemistry, astronomy, physiology, microbiology, and health sciences during the eight-day camp, to inspire future scientists like Gallaher, 15, who plans to be a cardiologist or a dentist.

"Our goal is to get kids interested in sciences, so they will consider it as a career, and possibly earn their degrees here," said Christian Chauret, dean of the School of Sciences. "We explore a wide variety of scientific fields, allowing them to experience what our students do in the labs, and showing them the opportunity available to earn a degree in the sciences at IU Kokomo."

On this particular day, the students, who represented Central, Eastern, Lewis Cass, Maconaquah, Maple Crest, Northwestern, Taylor, and Western middle schools, use cotton swabs to collect samples from their hands, the floor, doorknobs, faucets, and other surfaces around campus. They prepare their findings on slides and peer at them under microscopes in a Hunt Hall laboratory.

Chauret moves through the lab, adjusting slides and looking at the samples, directing the lab coated middle schoolers to those with particularly good samples. They talk about what they've seen, and draw pictures on the white board at the front of the room.

For Fatima Knox, a Western Middle School seventh grader, using the microscopes is the best part of the camp. She was surprised to learn she liked science when she attended the camp in 2013.

"I didn't like science before, and my mom told me I should try it," she said. "I wanted to come back, because I had fun last year. It's a great way to meet other people who like science."

Eastern seventh grader Brandon Cobb enjoyed building an aquifer during the geology and chemistry sessions, and looked forward to learning about health sciences.

"I want to be an asthma specialist," he said. "I thought because this includes health, it would be really interesting."

The field trip to the Kokomo Wastewater Treatment Plant was the best part of camp, according to Cameryn Stewart.

"I learned that insects like to eat the sludge," the Western Middle School sixth grader said, adding that she was surprised by how interesting it was to visit the treatment plant.

She's considering a career as a biologist, and recommends the camp to other students interested in science.

"You get more into science, and learn how the body works, and about plants and animals, and how we live."

The camp was funded by a grant from the North Central Indiana Areas Health Education Center.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Kathy Parkison stands with her election team in the Ukraine.

Kathy Parkison, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, and her husband, Rob Pfaff, an administrator at St. Joseph's College, were among 1,200 volunteers who served as official monitors with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Both were posted to election sites in western Ukraine, away from the pro-Russian unrest that has plagued the country for months. Two teams of election monitors, eight people who were in eastern Ukraine, have been missing since shortly after the election.

Parkison never felt unsafe, but followed security protocols while in Ukraine, including texting an update every time she and her teammate, an immigration specialist from Poland, changed locations.

Parkison said the OSCE prefers that monitors not comment on the elections, because they only experience what happens in one region.

"It would be like observing in Howard County, and making inferences to the election for the entire United States," she said. "It just doesn't work."

As a monitor, she watched for fraud and voter intimidation, among other activities, working to ensure a fair election, the first since Ukraine's parliament ousted its president and called for an early presidential election. There were 21 candidates, and all ballots were on paper, and had to be counted by hand after the polls closed.

Parkison watched as ballots were counted, then had to accompany the team that transported the ballot boxes to a central location, where they were counted again, and make sure totals had not changed.

Parkison was posted to the Khmelnytskyy province, an agricultural region that reminded her of home.

"It's a beautiful country, gently rolling fields," she said. "It's Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa, but with canola instead of corn and soybeans."

Unlike the Midwest, however, Ukraine has high unemployment and poor infrastructure. Parkison visited a castle 30 miles from the town she was assigned, and the journey took two hours, because of poor roads.

As an economist, Parkison doesn't see the situation getting better anytime soon.

"Until the whole political situation settles down, companies aren't going to invest the multimillions it would take to open a factory," she said. "They don't want to risk losing that kind of investment."

She found the people to be friendly and welcoming.

"Ukrainians are very hospitable, very nice," she said. "I'm a farmer, so I can talk about crops and soil with them. I love the country, I love the people, and I love the food."

After the election, monitors returned to Kiev, the capital, where she and Pfaff were able to do some sightseeing. They visited St. Sophia Church, which was built in the 1100s, and walked through Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square, which has been a traditional site for political rallies since the state of Ukraine's independence movement, in 1990.

Overall, the OSCE concluded the election was conducted with only minor problems, despite the hostile security environments in two eastern regions and attempts to derail the process by armed groups in that part of the country.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Students, faculty, and staff at the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea. (Photo provided by Brian Arwood.)

Anaya Pico, who just completed her first year at Indiana University Kokomo, experienced Korean culture, eating authentic meals in homes of South Korean hosts and attending their churches, visiting the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea, and learning about eastern medicine at a local hospital.

She and six other IU Kokomo students, faculty, and staff members traveled to the Asian country as part of an annual exchange program with Jesus University, Jeonju, and Sungshin University, in Seoul. This is the 14th year for the program, which began when Linda Wallace, dean of the School of Nursing, spent a year teaching there.

Each February, IU Kokomo hosts about a dozen South Korean nursing students, then takes students from a variety of majors overseas in May.

Anaya Pico, a communication arts major, believes the experience prepared her for her career.

"I think in order to be a good journalist, you have to have a view of the world," she said. "You see how people live, and you get close to the culture, and experience their lives. You discover things about yourself. You're not the same person when you come back."

She discovered an interest in learning languages, and hopes to study Korean before she goes back. She learned English growing up in Cartagena, Colombia, so did not face a language barrier when she came to IU Kokomo.

"It was a little frustrating not being able to communicate in South Korea," she said. "People were so nice, and I wanted to get to know them. I want to go back to learn Korean. That's what you're supposed to do. You're not supposed to go to another country and expect everyone to learn English."

Lesley Connolly, a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) student, found that even with a language barrier, some things translate without words, as the group attended a Christian church service with their hosts.

"We didn't understand the language, but we understood the message," she said. "We were all worshiping in the same way, even in different languages."

She was impressed by the Korean people's knowledge about and love of their history.

"They are very in tuned with what happened to their ancestors," she said. "The country blends their ancient history, with the old palaces and temples, with the modern high rises. It was an interesting mix."

First time international traveler Patti Johnson, a nursing student, was moved by their visit to the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea. They saw a wall where South Koreans leave notes for their family members in the communist north, hoping they might visit and see them.

"The Korean people want so badly to be reunited with their families," she said. "You can feel the sadness of it there. It's touching."

Brian Arwood experienced eastern medicine firsthand, volunteering for wet cupping and acupuncture for back pain. This method involves cups and suction to draw "dead" blood out of the body.

"I volunteered for it, because I wanted the experience," Arwood, a nursing student, said. "It was a very interesting experience."

He also enjoyed the cuisine, especially the focus on eating healthy.

"I didn't want any western food the whole trip," he said. "You learn a lot about people based on their food. Korean food is very healthy, which is a good reflection of the people."

Johnson said food is a way of showing hospitality for the Korean people.

"Meals are meant to be enjoyed there, and are a social experience," she said. "You enjoy your food, and the people you are sharing it with, at a slow pace. It's different from how we hurry through out meals. Making sure you are well-fed is part of building a relationship."

They all enjoyed visiting an eastern medicine hospital, which focuses on holistic treatment, prevention, and healthy living. Wallace said people go to western medicine hospitals for acute conditions, but choose eastern medicine for treatment of chronic conditions. Many women plan to give birth in western hospitals, but then go to an eastern hospital for recovery, she said.

"They're all about the body healing itself," she said. "We are about killing a disease with antibiotics, while they are about building a strong, healthy body to resist disease."

For Connolly, a significant difference was the type of care nurses provide.

"In the hospitals, family members perform much of the care, like bathing and feeding," she said. "Nurses give medicines and treatments, and if families cannot care for the patient, they hire a private aid."

They visited with many of the Korean nursing students who had been at IU Kokomo in February, and had dinner in two of their homes. The father of one of the Korean students presented each of them with a family heirloom, and insisted on driving them back to their hotel.

"Everywhere we went, we were treated as honored guests," said Johnson. "Nobody told us to 'Speak Korean,' when we were talking in English. We were always treated with respect."

"You feel like you are family," Connolly added. "I would go back again in a heartbeat."

Wallace said experiences like the Korea trip make the world a smaller, less scary place.

"It gives a face to the world, and makes it seem like a friendly place," she said. "When you meet individual people, you realize we share many of the same values, and that there are friends to be made out there."

Dr. Se-Ung Lee, a South Korean businessman and philanthropist, has supported the exchange program for 14 years with grant funding.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Jerome Campbell (L) and Korsen Stiner (R) stand outside of Chrysler.

By the end of the summer, Jerome Campbell will be able to add that experience to his résumé, after he completes a summer internship at the Chrysler Group.

He is one of 21 Indiana University Kokomo students working as paid interns for the Chrysler Group, in areas including engineering, human resources/employee development, industrial engineering, and production. Many will play contributing roles in preparing for the local facilities' upcoming World Class Manufacturing (WCM) audits.

World Class Manufacturing (WCM) is a methodology that focuses on reducing waste, increasing productivity, and improving quality and safety in a systematic and organized way. WCM was first implemented by Fiat in 2006 and introduced to Chrysler Group as part of the alliance between the two companies in June 2009. WCM engages the workforce to provide and implement suggestions on how to improve their jobs and their plants.

Campbell, a chemistry major, leads a pre-audit effort at the Kokomo Transmission Plant, taking inventory and making sure all parts are where they are supposed to be, with the goal of eliminating redundancies and the associated costs for carrying excess inventory, a job that requires great organizational skills. He also is a summer vacation replacement supervisor, and will be able to run the production floor by the end of his 90-day experience.

"I'm learning to be a leader, and gaining people's trust," he said. "I supervised on my own one weekend. It was tough, but I got the hang of it. It's cool to be part of something this big."

Originally, he planned a career as an arson investigator, but is considering prospects in the automotive industry because of his Chrysler experience.

This is the second year for a large-scale internship program at Chrysler Group for IU Kokomo students. Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke proposed the program to Brad Clark, general manager of the transmission and casting division. It offers the company specialized resources from the campus, while providing students real world job experience.

Fellow intern Korsen Stiner, from Elwood, said the internship gives him an up close look at the automotive industry — and hands-on experience creating corporate videos.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get in on the action, and get this kind of on the job experience," he said. "I feel very fortunate to be here. Chrysler is one of the biggest employers in our area. Who wouldn't want to say you were an intern here? It will open so many doors for us in our careers."

Stiner, a communication arts major, works at the Kokomo Casting Plant with recent graduate Kalie Davis, creating training, marketing, and employee involvement videos. Their current project is a video showing the casting process, from beginning to end. Next up, they will make a video titled Our Stories, featuring employees, and exploring the culture of the casting plant.

He is especially proud that casting plant leaders plan to use a trailer for their video in the upcoming WCM audit.

"There is a lot of work that goes into making videos," Stiner said. "To see the leadership making room for our work in their presentation is truly gratifying."

He also appreciates that the internship is paid, as many are not.

"Many students need the experience, and can't afford to take the unpaid time," he added.

Brenda DeForrest, salaried administration representative, said all the IU Kokomo interns perform meaningful tasks that are important to the company, and gain new skills during the process. Chrysler Group employees also learn from the interns, who share the skills gained in their college classes.

"The internships offer valuable career experience for the students, and provides Chrysler access to some of the best and brightest leaders of tomorrow," she said. "It's a part of our commitment to the communities in which we all live and work. They are our students, too, and we are proud to provide them with opportunities to grow while contributing in a meaningful way."

It also gives students a chance to consider careers available within Chrysler, she said.

"It affords students an opportunity to figure out what they want to do professionally," she said. "Chrysler has a wide breadth of career opportunities for them to consider, from running the production floor, finance, human resources, engineering, production control/logistics, and many more."

DeForrest added that there are opportunities beyond Kokomo as well. After successfully completing a summer vacation replacement (SVR) position in 2013, IU Kokomo senior Joby Renbarger, while assigned locally, is now participating in the corporate manufacturing internship program out of Auburn Hills, Mich. He will have the opportunity to share his experiences with some of manufacturing's top executives.

"We are also planning a résumé workshop for the interns, to teach them how best to market their internship experiences, and to document their experiences at Chrysler so the outside world will see the value of the work done here," said DeForrest.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Classes resume on their regular schedule on Monday, July 7, and offices will open at 8 a.m.

The bookstore, the Cougar Country Café, and the IU Kokomo Library also will be closed Friday, re-opening for regular hours on Monday.

Online and electronic resources are available when the Library is closed, at www.iuk.edu/library.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

"We're proud of our student veterans and work to help them succeed in earning their degrees here," Sciame-Giesecke said. "We hope you continue to meet here in the future. This campus is your home as well as ours."

Local DAV Commander Jerry Fivecoate recognized the campus' ongoing commitment to veterans, including inviting the DAV to meet in the Kelley Student Center.

"IU Kokomo participates in military appreciation week, and has a Student Veterans' Association and a financial aid counselor who specifically works with veterans," he said. "We have many veterans here on campus, and Chancellor Sciame-Giesecke is very supportive of them."

Currently, IU Kokomo has 180 student veterans enrolled in classes, and graduated 24 veterans with the Class of 2014.

For more information about services available to veterans on campus, contact John Delaney, veterans' representative, at 765-455-9216 or jdelaney@iuk.edu.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Students visit Harlaxton College in England

Participants will not only walk a little more than three miles; they will pick up trash along the way.

"Visiting the Eden Project inspired me to think of what I can do to contribute, to make the world a better place," said Hattabaugh, from Kokomo. "They're really focused on the environment, and what we as individuals can do. It really made me grow as a person."

She visited the Eden Project, a visitor attraction focused on sustainability education, as part of Indiana University Kokomo's Innovation Symposium. This is a by-invitation-only class intended to encourage students to think about global issues, and how they can solve the world's problems.

Participants are selected through a nomination process, and spend a semester reading and researching about technology, the environment, and philanthropy. At the end of the semester, the group travels for three weeks in England and Scotland. While overseas, they meet innovators, visit museums and ecological sites, and research for a final project that addresses a global issue.

In other words, this is not tourist travel.

"Ultimately, our goal is to empower students to create positive change," said Karla Stouse, senior lecturer in English, who leads the program. "The Innovation Symposium requires students to go beyond just visiting an international destination. They have to apply what they have seen and learned, so they can develop ways to make the world better."

Joey Fellow, from Kokomo, found inspiration not only from The Eden Project, but also from visiting the tombs of Sir Robert Baden Powell, the founder of Boy Scouts, and Sir Isaac Newton, one of the world's most influential scientists, at Westminster Abbey.

"They were people who looked at things in a different way," Fellow said. "Newton challenged the way people lived, and became the forefather of many disciplines. He didn't limit himself."

The visits made him consider how he could combine his love of science and his business management major, leading him to begin developing a prototype for a more energy efficient electric outlet.

"I want to start my own company," he said. "I feel I have a lot to offer by doing that. We don't have to go overseas to find innovation; we can look within our own borders and find it. No matter where we are, there is a need for innovation."

As a nursing student, Israel Nieto sees a need for change in how nurses take patients' vitals, and is working to create a new system, because of this program.

"This experience opened my eyes to think outside the box," he said. "Every hospital, every nurse takes vitals the same way. Nobody questions why, but now I question it. With the device I'm trying to build, I'm going to revolutionize the way we take vitals."

Nieto, from Kokomo, had been to England before, but it was different going to look for innovation, rather than as a tourist experience.

"We get stuck in our world, but what's considered normal here is not normal everywhere," he said. "They look at us differently, we look at them differently, but who is to say who is right and who is wrong? It was an eye-opening experience."

Additional students participating were John Williams, Fairmount; Amber Ancil, Gas City; Haylee Cullison and Tyler Keck, Kokomo; and Leann Cook, Martinsville.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Interning from Brazil, Bel Da Silva examines a snapping turtle with professor of physiology, Michael Finkler.

She turns the egg, noting developmental progress, before replacing it in the incubator and reaching for the next one.

This is exactly the kinds of hands-on research experience Da Silva, a native of Brazil, sought as part of her one-year Science Without Borders exchange program in the United States — and she found it at Indiana University Kokomo.

She assists Michael Finkler, professor of physiology, with his research of snapping turtle embryo development, helping him locate nests for egg collection, and then monitoring progress of the developing turtles.

"This offers me a project with real experience in the field, not busywork," said Da Silva. "I was surprised that a professor would have time to include an undergraduate student in his research."

Finkler said IU Kokomo's focus on the undergraduate experience, including research, made it possible for him to mentor Da Silva. He knows from personal experience how these kinds of opportunities make a difference for students.

"I had a really great mentor as I completed my undergraduate thesis, and that's when research really clicked for me," he said. "That's why I'm a professor now, because of that mentoring. In Bel's case, I also saw an opportunity to get experience working with an international student."

Da Silva is a third-year student at Federal University of Amazonas in Brazil, studying biology. As part of the Science Without Borders program, she is attending University of Arizona as an exchange student. The program, which provides a full scholarship funded primarily by the Brazilian government, requires that she find an internship in a research lab or in industry for the summer. One of her professors in Brazil had worked with Finkler before, and recommended she contact him.

Finkler appreciates the assistance with his long-running snapping turtle research, studying how efficiently the turtles convert the contents of eggs into tissue. It involves hours of driving dusty side roads in southern Michigan, looking for signs of snapping turtle nests, tedious digging into the nests, and painstaking removal of eggs, which they transport back to Finkler's lab to incubate and study.

Da Silva enjoys the process, and working with IU Kokomo students in the lab.

"It's amazing to see the embryos grow inside the eggs," she said. "I'm learning new techniques, like the biochemical analysis. I'm also learning what it's like to be an American college student."

Da Silva hopes IU Kokomo students will consider studying in Brazil as well, and would be happy to welcome them to her university.

She plans to pay the experience forward, and become a researcher and professor.

"I like the idea of research, and teaching," she said. "It's important that you give the knowledge you learned to someone else."

Finkler said her experience in the United States, along with her excellent English, would help her gain admission to graduate programs. While she has benefitted from the experience, he said she's also made researching a better experience for the IU Kokomo students in his lab.

"This is a great chance for them to learn some Latin American culture, along with research skills," he said. "We have so few students here who come from South America. This really augers well for the growth of our campus, and our international exposure."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Herbert Presidential Scholars Lillian Badger (l) and Whitley Lehr (r) stand with Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke.

Receiving the campus' most prestigious scholarships sealed the deal for each of them.

"Receiving the Herbert Scholarship is a huge blessing," said Lehr. "It means I can graduate from college and begin my career without college loan debt. That is a huge deal for me."

Lehr, 18, Delphi, and Badger, 17, Tipton, are IU Kokomo's Herbert Presidential Scholars for 2014. The program offers four-year renewable scholarships, along with other benefits, to exceptional Indiana students. The scholarships are valued at $30,000 each.

I was excited to learn I had received it," Badger said. "It's a pressure that's taken off my family, and it means a lot to me knowing they won't have as big a burden during the next four years."

She plans a career as an event planner, and is excited about her hospitality and tourism classes.

"I'm looking forward to studying event management, and I'm ready to start doing what I want to do with my life," she said.

Badger was a member of the National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, student council, softball team, and a cheerleader at Tipton High School. She is the daughter of Christina Overdorf and Brent Badger.

Lehr wants to major in nursing, and said she was attracted to IU Kokomo because of its size.

"Because it is smaller, I can really get to know my classmates and professors," she said. "I was really impressed when I visited the School of Nursing, and I would like to get involved in some of the nursing groups on campus."

The daughter of Darin and Tana Lehr, she participated in Key Club, band, and musicals at Delphi High School.

Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke looks forward to having these students on campus this fall.

"IU Kokomo is a destination of choice for outstanding students like Whitley and Lillian," Sciame-Giesecke said. "We have many excellent educational opportunities awaiting them, such as assisting faculty with research, internships, and international travel."

IU President Emeritus Adam W. Herbert created the program during his tenure, as the Hoosier Presidential Scholars Program. The Board of Trustees renamed it in 2007, to honor Herbert's commitment to recruiting and retaining talented young Hoosiers.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

Students spend time in the United Kingdom during the Innovation Symposium, 2014.

The Innovation Symposium's grant will cover travel expenses for eight to 10 students to spend three weeks in England and Scotland in May and June 2015. This is no tourist trip — they visit museums and ecological sites, learning about philanthropy, the environment, and technology, and each one develops a program to solve a local problem.

"Because of this tremendous gift, the 2015 Innovation Symposium members should be able to pay less than any previous group has," said Karla Stouse, program leader. "This will allow all students who are nominated to seriously consider applying, because they won't be as concerned about the money."

Cost for the 2014 trip was $3,500 per student, a sum out of reach for many students, according to Leann Cook, one of the participants. Even many of those selected to go struggled to pay for the experience, she said.

"Knowing there is money to help pay your expenses means you can say yes earlier, rather than trying to figure out how you're going to pay for it," she said. "That means reservations can be made earlier, when prices are lower, which brings down the total cost of the trip."

Stouse said travel costs for the program have increased substantially since 2008. Hotel rooms that cost $100 per night when the program began now cost $160 or more per night, and the cost of airfare has nearly doubled.

She was grateful to past Innovation Symposium participants for their help in securing the grant. She was traveling with the 2014 group when presentations were made to the WPC, and previous participants Ann Andrezejewski, Laura Brown, Justin Clark, and Kristianna Upchurch made a grant presentation to the WPC council on her behalf.

"The program's success is due to their excellent work to develop and implement their projects, plus their ongoing commitment to the Innovation Symposium," she said. "About 80 percent of previous participants remain actively involved in some capacity, which gains us a lot of positive attention. I am grateful they continue to offer their time and talents to support the program."

IU Kokomo's grant was one of nine approved by the WPC, for a total of $108,000 in funding. There were 37 grant applications, from eight IU campuses. The nine selected programs received funding ranging from $7,000 to $17,000. The council has awarded more than $325,000 in grant funding since it began in 2012.

Kay Booth, WPC chairwoman and a founding member of the council, said its mission is to strengthen IU and the communities in which members live.

"We are thrilled to support these unique initiatives that address critical needs in health, diversity, and scholarship in local, national, and international arenas," she said. "Many lives will be touched and we firmly believe that the world will be a better place as a direct result of these projects."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.