16 August 2012

KOKOMO, Ind. – Jessica Roller is fired up for the first-ever NAIA season of Cougar athletics at Indiana University Kokomo. She is ready to cheer on the teams, but she hopes to root for the Cougars as a member of the new cheerleading squad.

Since the addition of competitive sports last fall, school spirit has reached new heights. This prompted Roller and others to continue the enthusiasm by bringing cheerleading to campus.

"Having cheerleaders at the games will show how excited we are as a campus," Roller said, who cheered in high school. "When the crowd is involved, it makes the games that much more fun."

Roller encourages all students to get involved. As a leadership minor, she believes this will be a great leadership opportunity for students, too.

Chelsea Bower, cheerleading coach.

Coaching the Cougar cheerleaders will be Chelsea Bower, who brings 10 years of experience.

"I want to help build traditions at IU Kokomo," Bower said. "We will bring a lot of new material, some dances and signature cheers, and really get the crowd involved."

Bower looks to build a fun squad of up to eight men and women with sharp skills, experience, and a lot of creativity. They will cheer at all men's home basketball games, and possibly at women's home volleyball games.

She is excited to lead students in a transition from high school to collegiate cheerleading. Bower says engaging the crowd and student section will be a major component of their game performances.

An open gym practice is set for Wednesday, August 29, time and place to be announced. Tryouts will take place Friday, August 31, in the Kelley Student Center, Room 130, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tryouts are open to all full-time students at IU Kokomo.

During the open gym practice, those who try out will learn a dance and cheer to be performed on August 31. Participants will also be expected to perform an original cheer and jumps. Tumbling is optional.

Bower's experience includes four years of cheering at Manchester College. Previously, she coached the junior varsity squad at Maconaquah High School and is the current coach of the 8th grade squad at Lewis Cass Junior-Senior High School.

For more information, contact Chelsea Bower at kosports@iuk.edu or (765) 513-7026.

Story written by Mary Olk. Mary is a senior majoring in communication arts, and is a writer for the Office of Media & Marketing.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

14 August 2012

KOKOMO, Ind. —Nearly 700 incoming students prepared for a successful first year at Indiana University Kokomo, by attending a New Student Orientation program before the fall semester begins Monday, August 20.

New students show their excitement during the Fall Convocation. View more photos.

About 150 students attended the most recent session, learning where to find their classes, how to get involved in student activities and use campus technology, as well as how to manage their finances, among other activities.

Abby Oyler, from Swayzee, was happy to be on campus for the most recent orientation session.

"I'm in the Army Reserves, and my recruiter said IU Kokomo was the best place for me to go for biology, so I can go to veterinary school," she said. "I'm excited to finally be here. I graduated from high school in December 2009, and now because of the military, I can go to college."

Orientation leaders, who are current students or recent graduates, led campus tours and answered questions. They are also available during their first few weeks of classes, to help them make a smooth transition to college life.

Chancellor Michael Harris also offered a warm Cougar welcome.

"You have chosen the best regional campus in the world," he said. "We offer the best experiences of a private campus, at the cost of a public university. You will have a world-class IU degree that will carry you all around the world."

Jerome Campbell, from Indianapolis, has already met some students, preparing for his first season on the men's basketball team. He plans to study chemistry, and said he's impressed with faculty in the School of Sciences, and is eager to continue his athletic career in college.

"I'm excited to play basketball at IU Kokomo, and I can't wait for the season to start," he said.

Tammy Dube and Jessica Piel both chose IU Kokomo for the School of Nursing. Dube, from Indianapolis, is continuing her education in the R.N. to B.S.N. program.

"I'm excited to learn more and meet new people," she said. "One of my co-workers recommended IU Kokomo's R.N. to B.S.N program because she really liked it and it helped her in her career. I met with an advisor, and she was really helpful."

Piel said the nursing program's reputation attracted her, and she is glad to earn her degree near her home in Tipton.

"IU Kokomo has a great nursing program. I like that I can be close to my family and friends, and to my jobs at Community Howard Regional Health and IU Health Tipton Hospital."

Cameron Steward came to campus from Shreveport, La., to study art and photography.

"I'm looking forward to having new experiences in general, making new friends and meeting new people," he said. "I'm excited to take art classes here too. I might work for the student newspaper."

Mac Decker, from Frankfort, is impressed with the quality of programs he can chose from when he is ready to declare a major. He's also looking forward to being part of the campus life.

"I chose IU Kokomo because it is known for its academic programs, and it's close to home. I like all the activities for students, and I plan to go to volleyball and basketball games."

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

10 August 2012

KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo graduates will be ready for jobs in the growing green industry, with a new diploma track in earth and sustainability sciences.

Professor Leda Casey informs students how to apply their knowledge in the field.

The program is a specialty track for biological and physical sciences majors, with a focus on fieldwork, hands-on experiences, and an in-depth understanding of how the sciences interconnect with the environmental industry.

Leda Casey, lecturer in geology, said planners researched environmental companies in Indiana and talked to leaders at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, to design a program to prepare graduates for jobs in the field.

"They want students who have a lot of hands-on field experience, and experience with technology, and who understand the connection between biology and the environment. This is very much a growing field, in Indiana and globally. There is a huge demand for people with this background, especially if they have experience doing environmental investigations prior to finding a job."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for environmental scientists and specialists is expected to increase by 28 percent by 2018. Graduates would be prepared for graduate school or the job market, in careers including laboratory work, teaching, environmental consulting, or government environmental management. Students may enroll in the track for the fall semester, which starts Monday, August 20.

Christian Chauret, dean of the School of Sciences, said the fieldwork component makes this track distinctive.

"We are preparing students to not only understand the science behind the environmental and sustainability issues facing our world, but to have a broad exposure to the field work involved in collecting data related to the ecosystem and resource conditions," he said.

Marcia Gillette, senior lecturer in chemistry, expects the track to be popular among biology majors, because the environmental sciences classes currently offered are usually full with a wait list.

"Students are aware of our environmental issues. They are concerned about what we are doing to the planet so their grandchildren will have a world to live in like the one we have today," she said.

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.

03 August 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.