http://newscenter.iupui.edu/ News about Diversity from Newscenter en-us Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:48:46 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5935/Associate-kinesiology-professor-Brian-Culp-to-receive-social-justice-and-diversity-award http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5935/Associate-kinesiology-professor-Brian-Culp-to-receive-social-justice-and-diversity-award INDIANAPOLIS - The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance has selected Brian Culp, an associate professor in kinesiology at IUPUI, for the Social Justice and Diversity Young Professional Award. The award will be presented April 25 at the alliance’s national convention in Charlotte, N.C. The honor is given to one young professional each year who has demonstrated superior promise in the areas of service, teaching, scholarship and commitment to the goals of the alliance, focusing specifically on underrepresented and underserved populations and promotion of social justice and diversity. A 20,000-member group made up of five national associations, six district associations and a research consortium, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Research and Dance envisions a society in which all individuals enjoy an optimal quality of life through appreciation of and participation in an active and creative, health-promoting lifestyle. Culp also envisions a similar society but has focused his attention on whether everyone is truly afforded the opportunity to be physically active and thus possesses the right to be physically active. On a broad scale, Culp’s scholarship has focused on how to expand opportunities for young people to be physically active, particularly those who are underrepresented minorities, including girls, women and seniors. It has included studies of school programs, physical education teacher preparation, immigrants, and barriers to physical activities in urban areas and international areas. An over-arching question Culp has is whether everyone has the right to be physically active, and if so, is this an issue of social justice. He notes: “Unless individuals are afforded realistic opportunities to be active, then the fundamental promise of America to 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' could be compromised.” Other recent accomplishments have included working with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2011 and being awarded the Mabel Lee Award from the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in 2012. Currently, Culp is assisting with policy development for newcomer populations and urban physical education with Physical and Health Education Canada and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_culp0.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_culp0.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5925/IUPUI-establishing-Office-for-Intergroup-Dialogue-and-Civil-Community http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5925/IUPUI-establishing-Office-for-Intergroup-Dialogue-and-Civil-Community In a continuing effort to improve relationships and understanding among social identity groups on campus, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is establishing an Office for Intergroup Dialogue and Civil Community. The new office will also provide leadership support in campus-wide efforts to foster and improve campus civility, collegiality and civil discourse. Intergroup dialogue occurs in carefully structured face-to-face meetings, typically involving about a dozen people of at least two social identity groups. Trained facilitators representing each social group in the dialogue guide discussions over a number of sessions. The office will support those who want to develop curriculum around intergroup dialogue as well as experiential learning opportunities for students. The office will also support dialogue processes between and among faculty and staff and with groups in the Indianapolis community. “Intergroup Dialogue principles and practices can serve as tools to facilitate conversations, advocacy and collective action toward promoting equality, combating prejudice, and fostering diversity and inclusion throughout campus,” said Daniel Griffith, the office’s first director. Work to develop the initiative began in 2009, which included partnering with the University of Michigan Program on Intergroup Relations, the recognized leader of the intergroup dialogue process. “I’m excited about the possibilities that Intergroup Dialogue has to offer for our IUPUI community,” said Dawn Rhodes, vice chancellor for administration and finance. “Engaging our students and employees in meaningful conversations about diversity and social justice is essential to engendering their commitment to fostering a culture that is diverse and inclusive.” The goals and priorities for the IUPUI Office for Intergroup Dialogue and Civil Community strategically align with the campus’s Vision 2025 Strategic Plan, particularly the initiative to promote an inclusive campus environment. “Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential to our mission as a leading urban university campus,” said Nasser H. Paydar, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer. “Intergroup dialogue and similar initiatives that help our students, staff, faculty and community members feel welcomed and valued represent important steps toward fulfilling our mission and vision.” “Intergroup dialogue offers an opportunity to respond more effectively to issues, to get people engaged in dialogue in a constructive way,” Griffith said. Griffith is an associate faculty member in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in leadership, conflict management and human resources management. Prior to his current role as director of the IUPUI Office for Intergroup Dialogue and Civil Community, he served as manager of Training and Organization Development at IUPUI. To learn more about the intergroup dialogue program, contact Griffith at dgriffit@iupui.edu or the Office for Intergroup Dialogue and Civil Community at igd@iupui.edu   Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_02122013griffithdan_eam_10.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_02122013griffithdan_eam_10.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5906/Committee-named-to-conduct-a-search-for-IUPUI-vice-chancellor-for-diversity-equity-and-inclusion http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5906/Committee-named-to-conduct-a-search-for-IUPUI-vice-chancellor-for-diversity-equity-and-inclusion INDIANAPOLIS -- A search committee has been formed to assist in the selection of the next vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Chancellor Charles R. Bantz has announced. The committee will launch a national search and be chaired by Austin O. Agho, dean of the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at IUPUI. The committee, which consists of IUPUI faculty and staff, as well as prominent Indianapolis-area diversity leaders, will begin meeting this month and expects to have a candidate named by June. The vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion will report to the chancellor and serve on the chancellor’s cabinet. The incumbent will work closely with campus leadership and various IUPUI diversity-related student and faculty-staff groups including, but not limited to, the Native American Student Alliance, Black Student Union, Latino Student Association, Asian Student Union, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Faculty and Staff Council. “Having a senior IUPUI leader focused on promoting diversity throughout the campus—across schools and for faculty, staff, and students—has made IUPUI a more inclusive campus community,” said Bantz. “We are seeking a dynamic, innovative, and committed person to make the campus even more successful.” Members of the search committee are: •Chair: Austin O. Agho, dean, IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at IUPUI •Timothy L. Anno, associate director, Adaptive Educational Services at IUPUI •Kathy Cabello, president, Cabello Associates Inc., and member of the IUPUI Dialogue Group •Charmayne "Charli" Champion-Shaw, Native American Faculty and Staff Council at IUPUI and interim director, Office of American Indian Programs, IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI •Aron Elizabeth DiBacco, chair, IUPUI Staff Council Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and social science research specialist, IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI •Margo R. Foreman, assistant director, Diverse Workforce Recruitment and Retention, IUPUI Office of Equal Opportunity •Charles J. Garcia, president and CEO, Garcia Construction Group Inc., and IUPUI Board of Advisors •Anthony L. Greco, IUPUI Undergraduate Student Government president •Kathleen S. Grove, director, IUPUI Office for Women •Wayne J. Hilson Jr., director of multicultural academic relations, IUPUI Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion •Lindsey A. Lazo, vice president, Latino Student Association at IUPUI •Tralicia Powell Lewis, interim assistant vice chancellor, IUPUI Division of Student Life and Learning •Monica A. Medina, clinical lecturer, IU School of Education at IUPUI •Anne L. Mitchell, director of operations, Survey Research Center at IUPUI •Khaula H. Murtadha, associate vice chancellor for lifelong learning and executive director, Community Learning Network, at IUPUI •Kim S. Nguyen, director for operations, IUPUI Urban Center for the Advancement of STEM Education and Louis Stokes Midwest Center of Excellence, IU School of Education at IUPUI •George H. Rausch, associate dean for Diversity Affairs and associate professor of Clinical Family Medicine in the School of Medicine on the IUPUI campus. •Joseph A. Slash, president and CEO, Indianapolis Urban League, and member of the IUPUI Dialogue Group •Jamal L. Smith, executive director, Indiana Civil Rights Commission, and member of the IUPUI Dialogue Group •Richard E. Ward, executive director, Center for Research and Learning, IUPUI Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research •L. Jack Windsor, president, IUPUI Faculty Council; associate professor of oral biology, IU School of Dentistry on the IUPUI campus; and adjunct associate professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, IU School of Medicine on the IUPUI campus The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion directs, supports and monitors the university's progress in diversifying faculty, staff and the student body in creating a climate that is welcoming of all individuals regardless of race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality or disability. The office also encourages diversity in the IUPUI community; reinforces it with equity and excellence through policies, practices and programs; and prepares all members of the community for a multicultural world. Vice Chancellor for Student Life Zebulun R. Davenport will continue to oversee the campus’s diversity efforts until a permanent vice chancellor is named. For more information on the search please visit the Executive Search Web page.   Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5905/2013-It-Takes-a-City-Taylor-Symposium-explores-creating-a-diverse-humane-community http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5905/2013-It-Takes-a-City-Taylor-Symposium-explores-creating-a-diverse-humane-community INDIANAPOLIS -- Exploring strategies to prevent bullying and encourage tolerance and respect is just one of the topics for discussion as Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis presents the 24th annual Joseph T. Taylor Symposium. The 2013 symposium takes place from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd. The theme is “It Takes a City: Toward a Diverse and Humane Community.” The symposium also focuses on the use of art, architecture, city planning and the Internet to bridge ethnic, religious, professional and lifestyle differences in order to bring back a sense of community in cities in an age of hyper-individualism. Speakers from IUPUI, Indiana University Bloomington, Butler University, Ball State University and Purdue University will participate in the event. Representatives of Big Car Gallery, the Indianapolis Urban League and the Bully Prevention Alliance will also be part of the day’s sessions. Educator and civil rights and gay liberation activist Gaye Todd Adegbalola will address the symposium theme during her musical-performance-based keynote presentation at the symposium luncheon. Adegbalola, a celebrated singer and musician, strives to provide a voice for those marginalized by society. The luncheon also includes the presentation of the Joseph T. Taylor Excellence in Diversity Awards. The annual symposium honors Joseph T. Taylor, the first dean of the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. Taylor is remembered for his commitment to dialogue and diversity. The Excellence in Diversity awards acknowledge individuals, projects, programs and groups that exemplify Taylor’s commitment to diversity and dialogue. “Each year’s Taylor Symposium provides an opportunity to think about and discuss matters of importance to our city and all cities,” said William Blomquist, dean of the School of Liberal Arts. “How to promote and sustain the benefits we gain from our diversity and weave them into a stronger fabric of community is an ideal example of a vital topic for Indianapolis and elsewhere.” Before the luncheon, a poster session featuring research and information on building community in Indianapolis will take place from 11:15 a.m. to noon in Room 405 of the Campus Center. The School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI sponsors the annual Taylor Symposium. The 2013 symposium, presented in conjunction with the Department of Philosophy, part of the School of Liberal Arts, and the IUPUI Center for Service and Learning, is part of Indianapolis’ IndyTalks Series, a citywide effort to foster a sense of community through respectful and creative civic dialogue. Symposium sessions are free of charge and open to the public. Individual luncheon tickets are $35 if registration is made by the Feb. 5 early bird deadline, or $40 after Feb. 5. All luncheon seating is reserved with payment. Corporate or community patron tables for 10 may also be reserved for $550. For additional details or to register, visit the School of Liberal Arts website.     Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_2013 taylor symposium pix20.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_2013 taylor symposium pix20.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5891/Black-Panther-Party-architect-Bobby-Seale-is-keynote-speaker-for-IUPUI-King-Day-dinner http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5891/Black-Panther-Party-architect-Bobby-Seale-is-keynote-speaker-for-IUPUI-King-Day-dinner INDIANAPOLIS -- The 44th annual IUPUI Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner takes place at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 W. Washington St. in Indianapolis. This year’s theme is “To live as brothers, or perish as fools.” Bobby Seale, who co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966, is the keynote speaker for this year’s dinner. As an activist in the 1960s and 1970s, Seale’s causes included better social services in black neighborhoods. Today, defining himself as a “revolutionary humanist,” the charismatic speaker calls for a society of greater direct community democracy complete with cyberspace activism and demonstrates how civil rights issues are interconnected and interrelated with environmental problems and global economics. Seale’s books include "Seize the Time," and "A Lonely Rage." “For the past 43 years, the IUPUI Black Student Union has sponsored the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner, one of the largest events on IUPUI’s campus," said Meaghan Banks, president of the IUPUI Black Student Union. "This year, we will continue that tradition, and we invite the Indianapolis community to join us for an evening of empowerment and celebration in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy.” The annual King celebration dinner is presented by the Black Student Union with the support of the IUPUI Office of Student Involvement. In addition to the keynote address, the annual dinner includes an award ceremony honoring campus and community recipients for service reflective of King’s dream of social justice and equality. Individual tickets for the dinner, on sale at the IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd., Suite 370, are $25 for IUPUI undergraduate and graduate students; $65 for IUPUI faculty and staff; and $75 for community guests. Sponsorship packages are also available at $1,000 for 20 tickets; $850 for 15 tickets; and $425 for 10 tickets. For additional information, call the Office of Student Involvement at 317-274-3931 or contact Meaghan Banks at meagbank@iupui.edu .   Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_kingbanner-578x207.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_kingbanner-578x207.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5887/Is-tomorrow-the-end http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5887/Is-tomorrow-the-end INDIANAPOLIS -- Is the world coming to an end Dec. 21, 2012? According to some, the Mayan calendar predicts such will be the case. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis anthropologist Larry Zimmerman, Ph.D., discusses end-of-the-world theories in a class at IUPUI titled “Lost Tribes, Sunken Continents, and Ancient Astronauts: Pseudoscience, Fractured Science, and the Past.” “We cover end-of-the-world predictions, because they are so common in human history,” Zimmerman said. Believers in the Mayan Doomsday claim really don’t understand the Mayan calendar system, the professor said. “The Mayan calendar was based on 394-year cycles called baktuns. The 13th baktun since the date of the Mayan creation story 5,126 years ago ends Friday. Then we just start the 14th baktun. A friend, colleague, and Mayan expert, Rosemary Joyce, likens it to a car odometer rolling over, which is a terrific analogy . . . The Mayan Doomsday got picked up by New Agers, who were very active in predicting the end in the 60s-70s. The tourism industry in Mexico liked it, and the internet helped spread it quickly to almost everywhere. Even a few Maya liked the attention it brought, but the vast majority of the 6 million Maya (yes, they have not disappeared!) have just ignored it.” End-of-the-world misinformation includes the use of the Aztec calendar stone as the Mayan calendar, Zimmerman said. The Aztec and Maya are separated by both geography and time. The Maya live in Yucatan, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and the more southern Central American countries. The Aztecs were in central Mexico and flourished from roughly 1400 to 1600 AD. “Yes the Aztecs had a calendar, and it was similar to the much more sophisticated Mayan calendar. But what we know of the Mayan calendar doesn’t come from a calendar stone,” the professor said. # # # Larry Zimmerman, Ph.D., is professor of anthropology and museum studies and the Public Scholar of Native American Representation (a shared position with the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art) in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. His research interests include North American archaeology, indigenous and community archaeology, Native American issues, cultural and intellectual property, and archaeology of the contemporary world. Zimmerman teaches museum ethics, Indigenous People and museums, issues in cultural heritage and fantastic archaeology at IUPUI. To schedule an interview with Professor Zimmerman, please contact Diane Brown at 317-274-2195 (office) or 317-371-0437 (cell).   Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_s200_larry.zimmerman.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_s200_larry.zimmerman.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5877/Indianapolis-recognizes-and-celebrates-the-history-of-diverse-Southside-neighborhood http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5877/Indianapolis-recognizes-and-celebrates-the-history-of-diverse-Southside-neighborhood INDIANAPOLIS -- A three-year partnership between Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis faculty and students in the Department of Anthropology, and African-American and Jewish residents formerly of Indianapolis’ Southside neighborhood, will culminate in two important events this month. At 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Council Building, District 19 City County Council member Jeff Miller will read a resolution commending the spirit of cooperation that characterized the relationship between the former African-American and Jewish communities of Southside from the early 1900s through the 1960s, when they not only lived side by side in the neighborhood but shared deep bonds of friendship. From 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, former community residents, students and others will gather at the Jewish Community Center, 6701 Hoover Road, to celebrate the release of “The Neighborhood of Saturdays: Memories of a Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood on Indianapolis’ Southside.” The book recounts the history of Southside as told through the eyes of the African-American and Jewish people who lived in that community. Using archival research and conducting oral history interviews with community elders, IUPUI anthropology students working under the direction of Susan B. Hyatt, associate professor of anthropology in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, collected and assembled a wealth of material that tells the story of this neighborhood that was once an important gateway to Indianapolis for both European immigrants and migrants from the South, who all came seeking better opportunities for their families. The book is being published by local publishing house Dog Ear Publishing and will be available for orders by the end of December on the website. The unique nature of this project, and the ways in which it brought together former neighbors who, in some cases, had not seen one another in 50 years, garnered national attention when The New York Times religion correspondent Samuel G. Freedman visited Indianapolis last spring and published a story about the research, "Christians and Jews Rediscover Interracial Haven," in the April 8 edition of the newspaper. In addition, working with the IUPUI University Library’s Digital Libraries Team, under the direction of Kristi Palmer, students scanned and compiled more than 400 documents and photographs from the old neighborhood. These images are available on the Program of Digital Scholarship website. Although the neighborhood has changed since that time, through successive waves of development, upwardly mobile migration and the construction of Interstate 70, the history of Southside represents an important period where, despite the prevalence of racial and religious divisions in other parts of the city, people came together across those boundaries to offer one another support and companionship. The fact that all of the children went to primary school together reinforced those ties. As project participant Beatrice "Miz Pete" Miller said, “We had a community. We didn’t look at color; we never did that. We weren’t brought up to think of ourselves by those means. We didn’t meet strangers. We met people.” The book project was initially funded by a Community Venture Fund Grant from the IUPUI Solution Center, the campus’s office for outreach and community engagement. Neighborhood residents then raised additional funds to support the publication through their own fundraising appeal. A diverse coalition of local groups and neighborhood organizations also played key roles in bringing this project to fruition. They include Babe Denny Neighborhood Group, Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, Concord Neighborhood Center, Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation, South Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and the Southside Picnic Committee.   Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_civic engagement showcase vsmall anthropology student lindsy schaiper and southside resident beatrice miz pete miller000.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_civic engagement showcase vsmall anthropology student lindsy schaiper and southside resident beatrice miz pete miller000.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5869/IUPUI-receives-magazines-inaugural-Higher-Education-Excellence-in-Diversity-award http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5869/IUPUI-receives-magazines-inaugural-Higher-Education-Excellence-in-Diversity-award Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis received the inaugural Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. As a winner of the national award honoring U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, IUPUI is featured along with 47 other recipients in the magazine’s December 2012 issue. “IUPUI has made great strides in increasing enrollment of minority students,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of Insight into Diversity Magazine. “They also have some very unique programs in place to recruit faculty and staff from underrepresented groups. We hope the HEED award encourages even more job candidates to come to IUPUI in the future.” IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz said the campus has nearly doubled the number of U.S. minorities receiving degrees at IUPUI from 474 in 2002-03 to 825 in 2011-12. During that same period, the first-year retention rate for African Americans grew from 59 to 68 percent. “We are thrilled that we increased the number of graduates to 825,” Bantz said. “Are we where we need to be? No, but Insight Into Diversity is recognizing IUPUI for exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives that helped us make great progress.” Among IUPUI’s initiatives, Bantz cited establishing the position of assistant chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion, giving the campus momentum to broaden its efforts to promote diversity campus-wide. Another is opening the Multicultural Success Center, which has helped IUPUI provide academic support targeted toward diverse learning styles. The campus also recruited an assistant director for Latino and Hispanic recruitment and hired diversity officers in the schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing and business. In addition, IUPUI resumed funding for the Support for Recruiting Underrepresented Faculty fund, broadening searches and attracting talented faculty to IUPUI. The campus has 100 more members of underrepresented faculty than it had in 2003. “We hope this award serves as a reminder that diversity and inclusion must remain priorities in the 21st-century higher education landscape," Pearlstein said. "Every college and university should recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion as being part of their everyday life on campus. Our students of today are the employees of tomorrow and the future of our country. As students begin to enter the workforce and a global society, they must first be surrounded by and supported by faculty and staff that understand the differences among cultures and their needs.”   Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5847/IUPUI-to-host-appreciation-luncheon-for-veterans-as-campus-continues-Veterans-Week-observance http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5847/IUPUI-to-host-appreciation-luncheon-for-veterans-as-campus-continues-Veterans-Week-observance INDIANAPOLIS -- IUPUI Veterans Week 2012 continues Thursday (Nov. 8, 2012) with the third annual Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Armed Forces Appreciation Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Room 450 of the Campus Center, 420 University Blvd. The luncheon, organized by the IUPUI Office for Veterans and Military Personnel as a “thank you” to military personnel and veterans, provides an opportunity for campus and community veterans and their supporters to build camaraderie. More than 100 people are expected to attend this year’s event, which is open to the campus and Indianapolis veteran community. Other activities scheduled for Veterans Week include a community service project on Thursday and a food drive to benefit homeless and disadvantaged veterans. “The mission of this office is to provide a comprehensive range of resources. We also aim to increase campus awareness on veterans’ issues. We always aim to recognize and make our student veterans feel welcome on this campus. By hosting a week of activities, they feel like they are appreciated at IUPUI and their service has not been in vain or forgotten,” said Winnie Wilson, manager of the IUPUI Office for Veterans and Military Personnel. Almost 1,100 veterans are enrolled as students on the IUPUI campus, and another 250 veterans are employed as faculty or staff. IUPUI has the largest and one of the most diverse student veteran populations of any four-year university in Indiana. Under the leadership of Wilson, an 11-year U.S. Army veteran, the Office for Veterans and Military Personnel has initiated a number of unique services for IUPUI veterans. This month, the office will conduct its second orientation session geared specifically for veterans who enroll as first-time students in spring 2013. That orientation, first held this past summer,  includes one-on-one counseling to ensure each veteran understands his or her available benefits. The IUPUI campus repeatedly has earned national recognition for its first-year programs designed to help all students succeed by adjusting to the transition from high school to campus life. Working in conjunction with the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, the IUPUI campus unit which enrolls the most veterans, the IUPUI veterans office has established a first-year seminar course specifically for veterans. The office has plans to create similar first-year programs for student veterans enrolled in other campus schools. Throughout the school year, a new partnership with the Indianapolis Vet Center provides on-site readjustment counseling services for veterans. The Office for Veterans and Military Personnel also presents special coins to graduating student veterans during a graduation recognition ceremony. As part of the week-long celebration honoring the nation’s veterans, IUPUI will also participate in the Armistice Day ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis. IUPUI sponsored Warrior Wellness Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd. Various campus and community units were on hand to provide information and services for veterans and their family members. The Indy Mobile Vet Center performed free wellness checks for service men and women. The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Indiana University School of Medicine, both part of the IUPUI campus, manned information booths regarding services for student veterans, their families and community supporters. The IU School of Medicine is among the more than 100 medical schools across the country that signed a pledge recognizing the sacrifice and commitment of military service members, veterans and their families. Through first lady Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces Initiative, the medical schools made a commitment to find solutions to health issues troubling veterans and their families and use their integrated missions in education, research and clinical care to train the next generation of physicians to meet the needs of those who serve the nation. The IU School of Medicine seeks to interest veterans in research studies that hope to unravel mental and physical health issues unique to service. One on-going study is looking at the connection between chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, while another is exploring methods to optimize treatment for veterans suffering chronic pain.   Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_final coin choices one.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_final coin choices one.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5800/IU-dental-school-receives-grant-to-increase-diversity-of-students-entering-dental-programs http://newscenter.iupui.edu/5800/IU-dental-school-receives-grant-to-increase-diversity-of-students-entering-dental-programs The Indiana University School of Dentistry was awarded one of 10 grants from a national project that is helping increase the diversity of students entering dental programs. The Dental Pipeline National Learning Institute awarded the IU dental school at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis a $12,000 grant to develop a yearlong program focused on dental education and recruitment of underrepresented minority students. The institute is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and presented by the American Dental Education Association and University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Each of the dental schools is collaborating with a community partner to develop the programs. The IU dental school will partner with Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana. Pamella Shaw, the dental school’s associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and Darrell Cain, vice chancellor for student affairs at Ivy Tech, will develop the IU program after attending a three-day institute course in San Francisco in October. “The earlier we are able to reach out to students about education and professional careers, the more likely they are to pursue them,” Cain said. “The best part of the program is the early exposure to youth who might not have ever considered dentistry as a possible career option.” Shaw said Ivy Tech is the perfect community partner, given its existing summer programs for high school students and Ivy Tech students, as well as a significant enrollment of students who are minorities. “My philosophy is the younger the better” when it comes to introducing students to dentistry, she said. “The best thing to do is start before they get to the pre-dental stage.” In addition to a summer program, Shaw said she also envisions forming a pre-dental group at Ivy Tech with students who are interested in the sciences and health-related fields. She wants to engage these students with hands-on activities at the dental school. “Dentistry is not like a lot of careers,” Shaw said. “Most people don’t wake up and say, 'That’s for me.' Realistically, that happens when you get exposed to it and understand how it fits into a lot of things you want to do, such as becoming a health care professional, using your hands, using your artistic skills and being able to put a smile on someone’s face. “You have to work a little harder to get students to look at dentistry,” Shaw said. “But once they see what dentistry offers and they are motivated, they will keep going and going.”   Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/60_sq_shaw,pam1.jpg http://newscenter.iupui.edu/images/200_shaw,pam1.jpg