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April 14, 2008

USI student named Goldwater Scholarship recipient

Jamie Johnson, a junior at USI, is among 321 college students nationwide to be named a 2008 Goldwater Scholar.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation selected the award winners on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,035 mathematics, science, and engineering students nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities throughout the country.

Sophomores and juniors are eligible for nomination. The one- and two-year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

A chemistry major, Johnson maintains a 4.0 grade-point average. She plans to pursue a career as a physician.

In 2007, she was appointed by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to serve a two-year term as the student representative to the USI Board of Trustees.

“I cannot express how much I’ve enjoyed learning about the inner workings of the University,” she said, regarding her service as student representative, “but the people I’ve met mean the most.”

Johnson has conducted undergraduate research with Dr. Cindy M. Basinski, an Evansville obstetrician/gynecologist, since summer 2007. Under Basinski’s supervision, she has completed research related to the Essure method of female sterilization, a method that requires no incision and no general anaesthesia. Johnson has prepared a paper on her findings for submission to a professional journal.

Johnson also has served as a research assistant to Dr. Kenneth E. Walsh, USI assistant professor of chemistry. She has presented findings of a study relating to carbohydrates at a local meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and will make a presentation in August at the ACS National Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia. She also will present the research in April at the USI RISC (research, innovation, scholarship, and creativity) Showcase.

A USI professor who nominated Johnson for the Goldwater Scholarship said she has excelled in a rigorous technical curriculum.

“Jamie was one of the standouts in chemistry seminar,” he said. “In her work for seminar, Jamie demonstrated superior writing ability and particularly excelled at presenting technical seminars. Many students find these presentations unnerving, but Jamie demonstrated knowledge, poise and self-confidence, even under a barrage of questions from faculty.”

Johnson is a member of the USI student chapter of the American Chemical Society. She is co-founder and president of the USI Pre-Health Professions Club. She has been elected to serve a third term next year as administrative vice president for academic affairs for the Student Government Association.

Johnson is a 2005 graduate of Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana.

The Goldwater Foundation was established by Congress in 1986. The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

On Campus Housing in High Demand

USI students overwhelmingly agree that Residence Life offers you the privacy you want, the services you need, and the responsibility you deserve - all at a price you can't pass up.

It's important to know that students who live on campus perform better academically, become more involved with the university and have a higher overall success rate than those who choose to live off campus.

Additionally, university housing provides the following benefits and amenities:

Furnished suite-style residence halls
Furnished apartment-style housing for all grade levels
a wide variety of Meal Plan options
Living-Learning Community opportunities
On-site support with live-in staff
Close proximity to campus services and facilities
On-campus shuttle bus service
All utilities paid - local phone, basic cable, internet access, water, electricity, sewage, garbage, etc.
24 hour security service.

You can even sign up on-line to live on campus and pay your deposit with a credit card - it's that easy! Sign up now to guarantee your space within our university housing.

Recreation and Fitness Center expansion work begins soon

A groundbreaking ceremony for a 44,000 square foot addition to the University of Southern Indiana's Recreation and Fitness Center will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, on the Recreation and Fitness Center outdoor courts (inside if there is rain).

This second phase of construction, planned before the original building opened in 2000, will double the square footage and transform the Recreation and Fitness Center into a community space with two new lounge areas, including a quiet area for studying.

In addition, the improved facility will include a rock climbing tower surrounded by glass walls, enabling climbers to be viewed from all three floors, and an 8-foot-tall bouldering wall. (Bouldering, a branch of rock climbing, requires technical skill and provides a challenging workout.)

There will be two group exercise rooms that will allow for more classes; a game room with pool, foosball, air hockey tables, table tennis, and television sets for game systems; rooms dedicated to stretching (including a stretching area along side the existing track); a larger cardio room; a combative room with punching bags, wrestling mats and the like; a health assessment room; two locker rooms; and new and additional office space.

Most of the cardio machines and weight training equipment will be replaced with new, and more fitness equipment will be added. The current cardio and weight training areas will be converted into a third basketball court with a new wooden floor.

The addition will be constructed on the hillside area between the current building and the Recreation and Fitness Center parking lot and should not disrupt operations at the facility. Total costs for the project are about $7.75 million, with the debt to be paid by student fees.

The groundbreaking will include various demonstration stations introducing the Recreation and Fitness Center’s new features and including an architect’s rendering of the features. Light refreshments will be served.

Contractors are Arc Construction, Peyronnin Construction, and Mel-Kay Electric. The architect is Jack R. Kinkel & Son Architects. Work is expected to be complete by fall 2009.

April 26: Southern Hospitality Day

June 6: Orientation

June 7: Orientation

June 27: Orientation

June 28: Orientation

July 11: Orientation

July 12: Orientation

USI College of Business programs reaccredited by AACSB

The College of Business at USI has again earned accreditation of its undergraduate and graduate business programs and separate accreditation of its accounting programs by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
USI received initial AACSB accreditation for its undergraduate and graduate business programs in 1997. The accounting program achieved separate accreditation in 2003. Accredited schools must be re-evaluated every five years to maintain accreditation.
As of April, 458 institutions in the United States hold AACSB business accreditation, of which 163 have additional specialized accreditation for their accounting programs.

Dr. Mohammed Khayum, dean of the College of Business said, “Extension of accreditation by the AACSB International is a clear affirmation of the high quality of business and accounting programs offered by our University. We have established that we are among a distinctive group of business schools worldwide with both business and accounting accreditation. Of the more than 7,600 business schools in the world only 7 percent have AACSB business accreditation.

“Extension of accreditation demonstrates that our programs have attained a high level of overall quality, that we have a culture that is committed to continuous improvement, and that we are providing educational experiences that lead to measurable student learning outcomes. These outcomes suggest that our students are well positioned to respond to the challenges and opportunities of a dynamic and competitive global economy.”

Dr. Linda Bennett, USI provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said, “USI’s College of Business has a growing reputation for excellence and AACSB accreditation confirms the outstanding work by the college’s administrative team, faculty, and staff. I’m certain that even with this achievement, the faculty in the college are already thinking about ways to develop new initiatives and new partnerships in the region.”

To achieve accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process, and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.
During the reaccreditation process, the USI College of Business was visited in February by a team of evaluators with detailed knowledge of management education, applying accreditation standards that are widely accepted in the educational community.
AACSB International is an association of more than 1,100 educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations in 70 countries. The organization is the longest serving and largest global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

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