04 January 2013
KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo's School of Nursing recently inducted 44 new students into the rigorous nursing program, which is the third largest nursing school in the state of Indiana.
Newly inducted nursing students for Spring 2013.In years past, nursing schools marked acceptance into their programs with capping ceremonies, demonstrating students' readiness for clinical training.
Nursing students may have replaced the traditional white caps with a uniform of scrubs, but the honor of acceptance to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is still a great one, and deserves to be commemorated, according to Linda Wallace, dean of the School of Nursing.
"Admission to the nursing program is more arduous than admission to the university," she said. "These students have worked hard to be selected, and we acknowledge this accomplishment with our induction ceremony."
Each student received a certificate, and the class recited the Nightingale Pledge, a statement of the ethics and principles of the nursing profession, named for Florence Nightingale.
"Years ago, there was a tradition to cap nurses at the start of their first clinical experience," Wallace said. "Our induction ceremony is reminiscent of that tradition."
Students inducted included Dustin Allen, Amber Christine Ancil, Krista Genevieve Armstrong, Taylor Ashley Backes, Danielle Renee Batchelder, Trisha Lynn Booth, Sherry Lea Brainard, PrinceKristian Dionisio Bravo, Jordan Briede, Bridget JoAnn College, Stevie Lorene Conley, Amanda Brianne Corder, Pat S. Creighton, Angela Noel Duggins, Matthew J. Etter, Coral Lee Everhart, Taylor Renee Flora, Amanda Joanne Geiger, Lyndsay Nicole Gipson, Jessica Dawn Graber, Kelsey Lynn Grimme, Sarah Lynne Jackman, Patricia Ann Johnson, Tami Dianne Karban, Patricia Rose Kilcrece, Kasey Jae Lewis, Erica S. Melcher, Adam Dalton Moore, Jose Jerardo Morales, Leigha Marie Murphy, Florence A. Olabowale, Sheryl Kristina Ottinger, Chelsea L. Peach, Cody Victor Phelps, Amanda Jean Pisano, Christa Marie Reynolds, Stacey L. Ropp, Summer Ann Ross, Jim Smith, Johnna Morgan Tucker, Cassandra Marie Wagner, Brook Nicole Widener, Kyle Austin Wyant, and Alexandria Dawn Wylie.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
06 September 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo education students will offer free, fun activities to children and their parents Saturday, while gaining valuable hands-on lesson planning experience.
Members of Educational Student Advisory Committee (EdSAC), an organization for education majors, developed Education Express, a train-themed educational carnival geared to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Activities include story writing, modeling clay, puppet play, and worm races. Students also will talk to parents about how to replicate those activities to continue the learning process at home.
Jessica Beck, EdSAC president, said the group's goal is "to showcase a variety of interesting things parents can do to focus on literacy, and supplement what their child is learning at school."
Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight will kick off the event at 10 a.m. in Alumni Hall, with a proclamation honoring the day. Each child will receive a passport, and has until 2 p.m. to complete at least 10 stations, to earn a free book.
Refreshments, including Noble Roman's pizza and Coca-Cola products, will be available. Campus mascot Kingston Cougar will be available to meet his young fans as well.
Beck said planners wanted to give students a chance not only to develop and implement a lesson plan, but also to interact with children and their parents.
"It's one thing to be great with kids, but you have to be able to talk to parents, too, in order to be successful as a teacher," she said. "This also gives us a chance to give back to all the schools who allow us to learn in their classrooms as we develop our teaching skills."
Event sponsors include the IU Kokomo School of Education, the IU Kokomo Early Childhood Education Center, and Partners in Education.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
06 September 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. — In a time of fierce competition for teaching jobs, nearly 80 percent of Indiana University Kokomo's School of Education 2012 graduates are employed at schools this school year.
Dean Paul Paese said this demonstrates the quality of teachers graduating from the program, and is encouraging news to those considering careers in education.
"This is a tribute to the performance and quality of our students, program and faculty," he said. "The public school corporations in our region had more openings than in the previous two years, and the expectation is there will be more openings in the next several years, because of retirements and need in math, science and special education. This is a great time to major in education at IU Kokomo."
Those who found jobs included the three graduates honored as Outstanding Future Educators by the Indiana Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Vincente Lorenz
Tiffani Bonifant is teaching social studies at Taylor High School, Kourtney (Cox) Hainlen is teaching second-graders at Tri-Central Elementary, and Vincente Lorenz is teaching science at Kokomo High School. Hainlen and Lorenz both accepted jobs in the schools where they did their student teaching. All three believe their IU degrees, along with the awards, made them stand out from the other applicants.
Andy Robertson, director of student teaching, said the awards are the most prestigious recognition given to student teachers.
"We encourage our best and brightest future educators to apply for these awards. We have excellent education majors, and it is hard to choose just three. Tiffani, Kourtney and Vincente are outstanding representatives of our School of Education."
Bonifant enjoyed student teaching social studies at Western High School. She was pleased to receive the award.
"It certainly is gratifying to know I have been recognized for my hard work. To be recognized by IU Kokomo as one of the three most promising teachers isn't something I expected."
Hainlen dreamed of becoming a teacher since she was very young, playing school with her dolls, rather than house. She hopes having the award on her resumé helps her achieve her longtime dream of having her own classroom.
"I always admired my teachers and wanted to be like them when I grew up," she said. "I wanted to be the creative teacher who makes learning fun. It makes me feel really good, to know people think I am a good teacher."
She said her classes prepared her to succeed in the classroom, especially in teaching reading.
Lorenz previously earned an associate's degree in landscaping horticulture, then decided he wanted to teach. He especially enjoys working with special needs students, and may return to IU Kokomo to become a special education teacher.
Lorenz said he was happy, but surprised, to be one of the three IU Kokomo students chosen for the award.
"There are a lot of really good future teachers in our cohort, so I know it was competitive."
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
03 July 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. — Jennifer Rozzi made a crucial decision about the future of her family business, with help from Indiana University Kokomo students.
As vice president and co-owner of Rozzi's Catering, which her parents started as a neighborhood grocery store more than 35 years ago, she had to determine the company's future direction.
Continental Ballroom
Rozzi enlisted the help of IU Kokomo's Master of Business Administration students to analyze all her options, which included building or buying a banquet hall, developing products for mass-market sales, or opening a restaurant.
She used the analysis to build a business plan, which helped her get approval from her bank to buy the Continental Ballroom in Kokomo.
"The students determined that was the best plan, and it turned out to be the right decision," she said. "Adding the Continental Ballroom gave us exposure to the community, which helped us maintain our business through the economic slump."
She now recommends the free program to other area entrepreneurs.
"This is what our community needs to stay on top of economic development, to encourage growth and bring in a new generation of business-minded people and keep them here," Rozzi said. "We need to connect them with the community and connect the community with them. It's a brilliant program, and it will help the area as it moves forward."
Rozzi said the students she worked with brought new perspective to the business, along with five years of financial projections.
"As they take a look at your business, they see possibilities that maybe you don't see while you're in the midst of your business. I think that helps you to move forward."
Launa Bills, who earned her M.B.A. in May, found working with a local business gave her a chance not only to build on her areas of strength, but also to learn from classmates and their expertise.
"I had no previous business experience. All I had was book learning. This was a chance to use what I had learned in real life, to see how things work with an actual business," Bills said. "I could bring my own strengths to the project, and gain experience in areas where I needed to learn more."
Steve Cox, professor of finance, said the program reflects the current trend of business students having hands-on learning opportunities, and it benefits both the businesses helped and the students doing the work.
"By working with a business, students enhance their technical and personal skill sets, and they also build business contacts in the community," he said. "This will be a welcome addition to the students' résumés. The community benefits as businesses and not-for-profit organizations reap the benefits of the students' work."
The M.B.A. program is accepting applications from established businesses and start ups, entrepreneurs, and governmental and non-profit agencies, to provide teams of students to help transform the region's economy.
Gloria Preece, program director, said the project is now a required element of the MBA program. Faculty members will support the student teams through the projects, which may be completed during multiple semesters.
She said the program fits with Chancellor Michael Harris' campus themes of Academic Excellence and Student Success, Building Relationships and Making Friends, and Transforming the Region.
"We feel this is a great way to share our resources with the community," she said. "Our students also benefit, by using the skills they've learned in the classroom in a real-life situation."
Monty Henderson, business advisor at the Hoosier Heartland Small Business Development Center, is excited about the venture, saying it benefits both the small businesses and the students.
"The students are usually pretty eager to prove themselves and work in a real business. It's rewarding to the owners because they have someone look at their business from an outside point of view. It is a win for both sides."
Preece invites business owners to call her at 765-455-9269 or e-mail gpreece@iuk.edu for information to participate in the M.B.A. program.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
02 July 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. — Do you aspire to teach and are ready to switch careers? The Change To Education (C2E) program at Indiana University Kokomo provides this opportunity to anyone with a bachelor's degree to earn a teaching license in less than two years.
This fall semester, the School of Education will launch the C2E, a 24-credit hour plan that leads to teaching licensure in grades 5 through 12, in one of four content areas – math, science, social studies, and English/language arts.
"People who have science and math backgrounds are going to be in demand as teachers," said Paul Paese, dean of the School of Education. "We offer the degree to prepare them to be successful teaching those subjects."
Preparing more teachers in the sciences and math will fill a need in the region, as schools always require high-quality candidates for those areas. Paese soon expects the same demand for secondary teachers in other subjects as the baby boomer generation of educators begin to retire.
The program consists of two semesters, plus a summer session, of education-related coursework, which will be delivered in seminar format and online. This is followed by one semester of student teaching.
"We focus on essential teaching skills, such as development, curriculum, instruction, assessment and professionalism," Paese said.
Classes will be conducted later in the day, and many will combine online and classroom learning so students can continue to work. Field experiences may be accomplished by paid substitute teaching in one of the 25 school corporations associated with the School of Education's Center for Educational Partnership (CEP).
"Oftentimes being a reliable, prepared substitute provides you a foot in the door when you earn your degree and are ready to look for a job," he said. "Principals already know you and how effective you are in the classroom. This would be a great opportunity for our students."
Shirley Aamidor, associate dean, said school principals and other leaders may encourage volunteers and substitute teachers to enroll in this program, to earn certification.
"Principals probably know many talented substitute teachers who have bachelor's degrees, but no teaching certification," Aamidor said. "This will give them the opportunity to advance in their careers, while providing excellent teachers to our schools."
For more information about requirements to enroll, contact Aamidor at 765-455-9296 or saamidor@iuk.edu.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
19 June 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo will partner with area teachers to enhance science education, while also providing more opportunities for future teachers to build their skills.
Julie Saam
The School of Education received a $2,250 Scholarship of Engagement faculty grant from the Indiana Campus Compact to fund its science inquiry fellows project. The project includes a one-day workshop to prepare teachers in grades 5-12 to lead scientific inquiry projects.
Teachers who attend the Saturday, August 25, workshop may apply for a fellowship, which would provide classroom assistance from math and science education students.
Julie Saam, assistant dean for the School of Education, said the project benefits current teachers by offering assistance getting started teaching through scientific inquiry. It also gives future teachers a chance to work with students and hone their skills.
"We're enhancing what is already happening in these classrooms, and preparing our education students to be excellent teachers," Saam said. "Our students need to be out there. We can talk all we want in a classroom, but if they're not out there practicing it, they don't learn how to be effective educators."
It also fits with the campus' three themes, set forth by Chancellor Michael Harris, of academic excellence and student success, building relationships and making friends, and transforming the region.
Susan Sciame-Giesecke, executive vice chancellor of academic affairs, said the program extends the campus' community outreach of hosting the Howard County Science Fair, and hopefully will lead to more participation.
"IU Kokomo has been a leader in the promotion of local and state sciences fairs for years," she said. "The future of our economy is dependent on more students seeking college degrees in science, math and technology. This workshop will help teachers understand the importance of continuing science fairs and increasing student participation. We hope it will encourage more students to look at science and a college major and a career choice."
Saam said the goal is to show teachers how to start and complete a scientific inquiry project, and also how to organize and run a science fair.
"We want to help teachers understand how to go through the process of helping students choose questions," Saam said. "They can then help their students frame those questions to collect the data they need, and then lead them through collecting and analyzing that data, to come to a conclusion and back it up with the data."
She also wants to introduce teachers to community resources with expertise in scientific areas.
"There are people out there who can help students with research, or provide other resources. We want to make sure not just teachers with an inside track know what is available to them," she said.
The workshop is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 25 at Inventrek, 700 E. Firmin St. For more information or to register, contact Saam at 765-455-9302 or e-mail jsaam@iuk.edu.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
26 April 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo student Alexis Martin received more than double the scholarship she expected at the Indianapolis Star's Salute to Nurses awards luncheon Wednesday (April 25).
IU Kokomo junior Alexis Martin received an $8,000 scholarship as the 2012 Honoring Nursing Student from the Indianapolis Star. She was honored at the Salute to Nurses Wednesday, April 25, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Nursing schools statewide nominated students, and Martin was the state winner. See More >>
As the Honored Nursing Student winner, Martin thought her award would be for $3,500. She was shocked, then, to receive a check for $8,000.
"Nothing like this has ever happened to me before," she said. "I am so grateful to the faculty in the IU Kokomo School of Nursing for seeing something in me I didn't see, and nominating me for this award."
Chancellor Michael Harris congratulated Martin on her accomplishment.
"We are proud of Alexis for receiving this statewide honor," he said. "This demonstrates the quality of the academic programs at IU Kokomo, as well as the quality of our students. I have had several opportunities to get to know Alexis, and she is certainly worthy of this award."
Martin, a junior, was the only nursing student honored at the annual awards lunch, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis. The program also included presentation of the Nurse of the Year award. Winners will be featured in Star Media's Indiana Nursing magazine.
Carrie Bernhardt, events manager for Star Media, said nursing programs statewide nominate one student each for the Honored Nursing Student award. Representatives from the Indiana State Board of Nursing chose Martin from her nomination and essay about why she wants to be a nurse.
Bernhardt said the newspaper provides a $3,500 scholarship, and USA Funds gave an additional $4,500.
"This is the first time we've ever had a donor more than match our scholarship," she said. "We are pleased to be able to honor Alexis with a substantially larger scholarship than she expected. It was hard to keep this news to ourselves."
Linda Wallace, dean of the School of Nursing, said faculty chose Martin for her work ethic, positive attitude, and her heroic actions after witnessing a car accident on her way to a clinical experience in January.
As Martin approached the site of the accident, she found one woman seriously injured and trapped in her car. She immediately assessed the situation, attended to the woman's injuries, and provided support until medical care arrived.
Wallace said nursing faculty are proud that Martin used the skills she learned in her nursing classes.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
28 March 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. — Basketball fans can catch an Indiana Pacers game and benefit Indiana University Kokomo's camps for children by attending a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, April 21.
A portion of tickets sold using the IU Kokomo passcode will go directly to the School of Nursing's funds for summer camps, which include programs for children with asthma and with diabetes, as well as one for children interested in fitness.
"When you buy these tickets, not only do you get a great price for the game, you make a difference in the lives of children living with chronic conditions through our camps," said Lynda Narwold, assistant dean. "Events like this make it possible for us to charge only $20 per person to attend our high-quality camps."
Each ticket is $18.78, which includes the game, a voucher for a hot dog, bag of chips and a drink, a T-shirt and a 10 percent discount at the Home Court Gift Shop. Tickets may be ordered at www.pacersgroups.com/tickets/796, using the passcode IUKN to get the group rate and to be seated with the IU Kokomo group. Orders are due by Friday, April 6.
Narwold said the funds will help the School of Nursing offer Camp Eeze-the-Wheeze, for children with asthma, Kidds Kamp, for children with diabetes. IU Kokomo has offered the camp for 17 years.
"We teach the children with asthma how to use their medications properly and how to recognize triggers for asthma attacks, and how to use nutrition to avoid them," she said. "Diabetic children are taught how to recognize signs and symptoms of problems, and how to avoid them by monitoring their blood sugar. Some of the kids come to camp afraid to give themselves their insulin shots, but by the week they can do it themselves. We're teaching them to be more self-sufficient in caring for themselves."
This will be the second year for Fit Camp, for children who are interested in learning about health and wellness. All camps are at Kokomo's Jackson Morrow Park.
Nursing students serve as camp counselors, and learn about working with children with special needs from the experience, Narwold said.
"Our students learn about the needs of these children, and they write lessons to help teach them to manage their conditions. They learn from teaching the campers," she said. "Health, nutrition and wellness is something all nurses will have to talk to patients about, and we are giving our students hands-on experience in a way that benefits our community."
For more information about the 2012 camps or the Pacers game, call Narwold at 765-455-9308 or email lnarwold@iuk.edu. The camps are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 11 to 15 at Jackson Morrow Park, 4200 S. Park Road, Kokomo.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
08 March 2012
Faculty and students pose while in Guatemala in 2011.
From March 9 to March 17, eight students will travel to Guatemala to learn about the Spanish culture, enjoy some sights, and participate in a service project.
"It's been a goal of mine to explore different Hispanic countries, so this is a great opportunity for me," IU Kokomo student Lisa Ortega said.
During the first few days in Guatemala, the group will tour a university, do an activity with the nursing students there, and hike up a volcano. They will then visit and spend an entire day at Escuelita Rayitos de Luz, a school for special needs students. This is the group's main service project.
The school in Guatemala hosts students aged five to 50, who all have different developmental levels. The school provides an appropriate education for each level. The IU Kokomo students will spend a day cooking and making arts and crafts with the Guatemalan students, and also will paint the school's kitchen.
"I'm really looking forward to volunteering and experiencing the culture," student Christal Overman said.
Throughout the rest of the trip, they will explore and visit the beach at Livingston, visit Mayan ruins in Copan, and tour the city of Antigua.
The group can look forward to a busy week in Guatemala, but they've also been busy planning and preparing for this trip. Each student has been responsible for a fundraiser. They've held bake sales, handmade craft sales, had an international dinner featuring food from all of Latin America, salsa dancing, a silent auction and a rummage sale, among others.
"This class is really supposed to teach the students about fundraising and helping the community," said Lynda Narwold, clinical professor for the School of Nursing. "We have to take almost all of our supplies because the people in Guatemala simply don't have the resources."
The group is collecting donations of art supplies to use with the kids in Guatemala, and to also leave the school with extra resources, Christine Taff, lecturer in Spanish, said. "We like to leave knowing that we gave something back."
When the group returns, they plan to have a Guatemala Night, showing what they experienced and learned on their trip.
"Going to Guatemala will show us an appreciation for how other people live," student Alisha Referda said. "You never truly know what it's like for others until you experience it."
Students traveling to Guatemala include Jarrett Adams, Alisha Referda, Brooklynn Payne, Amanda Taff and Narwold will accompany them.
Story by Mary Olk. Mary is a student writer for the Office of Media & Marketing
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
03 February 2012
KOKOMO, Ind. – Rachel Marschand slept in a truck one night in the Jordan desert, fearing a scorpion would crawl into her sleeping bag. By day, she fearlessly captured lizards to study how they’ve adapted to climate change. She even grabbed a juvenile Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard, nicknaming him “Dumbo” for allowing himself to be caught.
Rachel and the Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard they nicknamed "Dumbo".
Marschand, a senior at Indiana University Kokomo, spent three weeks in the Middle East researching lizards with Lina Rifai, assistant professor of biology. When she chose IU Kokomo, she had no idea travel and research would be part of her experience, but said it has enriched her life and prepared her for graduate school.
“I didn’t know I could do research outside the labs we have on campus. I was thrilled when Dr. Rifai decided I was the right type of student to go with her,” Marschand said. “I knew the experience would not only be a blast, but also it would help me get experience I need to succeed and to see if this is what I want to do as a career.”
They spent long days in the scorching desert heat searching for lizards, as an indicator of climate change. Lizards adapt well to environmental change, “so they’re a good indicator of the health of an environment. You can tell how healthy it is by how many species are there,” Marschand said.
Their research required hours of walking and digging in the desert sand, at all times of day, because different species are active at different times of the day. Some nights they stayed in a research station, with beds and showers, while others, they slept outside. Rifai said daytime temperatures were close to 100 degrees, and the nights were unusually cold for Jordan during the summer, in the mid-50s.
She warned Marschand to expect rough conditions, and commended her for her work.
“It was very hard field work we did. We really never got any rest. We worked at all hours of the day,” Rifai said. “Rachel did an excellent job out there with the conditions.”
Rifai and Marschand published their research, and Marschand will present their abstract at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research this March in Ogden, Utah. She was chosen from more than 3,000 applicants.
Marschand said her research experience and opportunities to present it and publish it are good preparation for graduate school.
“To be an undergraduate student having published and had my name on something is really unusual. IU Kokomo offered me a unique opportunity that will help my research career.”
Marschand is applying for grant funding to attend the conference.
In addition to gaining professional research experience, Marschand had a valuable cultural experience, traveling in the Middle East and meeting people who live there. They traveled with a Bedouin driver and guide, and while their languages were different, she felt she got to know them.
“The cultural experience was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. It opened my eyes to how that part of the world is. I liked getting to know some of the people. You realize they’re not really much different from us.”
She also climbed to the ancient rock city of Petra and swam in the Red Sea. She joked that while she was never bitten by one of the lizards she studied, “Nemo bit me,” because a clownfish nibbled one of her fingers while she was diving.
She hopes that experience will set her apart from other graduate school candidates.
“The trip to Jordan gave me an opportunity to explore a different culture while studying in my field. Graduate schools want their applicants to have research experience, and having that experience outside the United States is a huge plus,” she said. “It is a big of a statement about a student if she is willing to open herself up to a new culture.”
Marschand said the hard work and the expense of traveling overseas was worth it for the experience she’s gained. She lives at home and paid for her airline ticket from savings.
“I’m not going to turn down an opportunity to travel and do research,” she said. “I was excited to go to the Middle East. There’s been so much unrest in some of those countries; they can be hard to access. This was a safer Middle East country.”
Christian Chauret, associate dean of science, mathematics, and informatics, is proud of the research and publishing opportunities his department offers its students, but said Marschand’s was unusual because it was in Jordan, not in a campus lab. He wants more students to have overseas research options.
Rifai plans to offer the Jordan research opportunity as a class in summer 2013, giving more IU Kokomo students the chance to study in the Middle East.
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.
