On December 13, 1977, Air Indiana Flight 216 crashed shortly after takeoff from the Evansville airport. All on board died in the crash or from crash-related injuries, including the University of Evansville men's basketball team and coaches, two fans, five members of the UE staff, and the flight crew.

Today, December 12 at noon, the UE community is invited to honor those who perished. The UE Interfaith Peace Bell will be rung 29 times--once for each of those who perished--followed by a moment of silence and peace in remembrance. Please join us to observe the bell-ringing and honor our history.

Purple Patrol is returning for Spring 2026!

Sign up as coworkers, a department/office, or a team and get ready to pass out fun goodies to our Aces displaying purple pride!

Please sign up for one slot only so everyone has a chance to participate.

Sign up for Spring 2026 Purple Patrol!

For questions or more information, please contact Abigail Perry at ap445@evansville.edu.

The University of Evansville (UE) will host the 2026 William G. & Rose Mays MLK Day Lectureship on Monday, January 19, welcoming renowned journalist and scholar Dr. Jelani Cobb as the keynote speaker. The event will take place in Eykamp Hall within Ridgway University Center, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m. and the program beginning at 4:00 p.m.

This year’s Lectureship focuses on the theme “Servant. Strategist. Change Agent. The Anatomy of Transformative Leadership.” The event is designed to help the campus and community reflect on what strong, positive leadership looks like today. Each year, UE uses this Lectureship to bring important voices to campus who help expand conversations about civil rights, fairness, and how we can work together to create meaningful change. The Center for Inclusive Excellence leads this effort and supports the programming that surrounds it.

Dr. Cobb’s work on race, history, democracy, and social change has established him as one of the most respected voices in contemporary public discourse. His participation in the 2026 Lectureship offers the campus and greater Evansville community an opportunity to explore transformative leadership in both historical and modern contexts.

The Lectureship is open to the public, and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional details about the event and the full 2026 MLK Celebration schedule can be found here.

Join us for Thursday Night Throw Down, a fun and relaxed four-week pottery workshop designed for adults of all skill levels. Whether you are brand new to clay or looking to build on your existing experience, this hands-on class offers the perfect creative outlet.

Under the instruction of Drs. Kristina and Cris Hochwender, you’ll learn essential techniques in:

• Hand building
• Wheel throwing
• Glazing and surface design

Students will complete several projects during the workshop and leave with finished pieces they have created themselves. Experienced potters are welcome to work at their own pace with guidance and support from the instructors.

Space is limited to 12 participants to ensure personalized attention.

Date: Thursdays, February 19, February 26, March 5, and March 19 
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. 
Location: Art Annex on Lincoln and Weinbach Avenues

Registration https://www.evansville.edu/centerforlearning/professional-development.cfm

ECTE, in collaboration with the AI Committee (Education Subcommittee), the Assessment Committee, and Academic Affairs, will host the 2nd Annual Spring Faculty Conference on Thursday, January 8, 2026 in SOBA 162. This year’s conference will feature two interactive, hands-on workshops designed to support and enrich our teaching and assessment practices.

RSVP is required no later than Friday, December 12, at 5 PM: https://forms.office.com/r/AdL3KgMrZv. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to registrants.

Conference Schedule:

I. AI Workshop – Led by Dr. Hector Will Pinto (Dept. of Electrical Engineering)

• When: 8:30–11:30 AM
• Where: SOBA 162 (Harkness Hall)
• Title: Ctrl+Alt+Teach: Rebooting Pedagogy for the AI Age
• Description: This seminar/workshop moves beyond the hype to address the real challenges and opportunities AI presents for faculty. We'll directly tackle the growing sense of “AI fatigue,” openly discuss nuanced uses and abuses by both students and instructors, and explore how AI aligns with our core teaching philosophies. From there, the session shifts from theory to practice, offering prompting strategies that help participants harness AI as both a thought partner and a productivity engine.
• Itinerary:
  • 8:30–9:20 AM – The AI Landscape: A Field Guide to Uses & Abuses
  • 9:30–10:15 AM – Panel: AI or Teaching Philosophy?
  • 10:15–10:30 AM – Break
  • 10:30–11:30 AM – Workshop: Beyond the Chat — Delegating to Your AI Agents

Lunch: 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM

II. Assessment Workshop – Led by Dr. Shari Millikan (Faculty Director of Assessment | School of Education) and the Assessment Committee

• When: 12:15–2:00 PM
• Where: Start in SOBA 162; breakout sessions in SOBA 172 & 173
• Title: Beyond HLC: Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement
• Description: Our HLC visit may be behind us, but our assessment journey continues! This interactive workshop will focus on sustaining a culture of ongoing improvement. We’ll walk through the Academic Assessment & Continuous Improvement Cycle and review key elements of the Annual Update Form, Assessment Plan, and Assessment Report. Attendees will then break into small groups based on where their programs currently are in the assessment cycle to share insights, ask questions, and collaborate on next steps.

Everyone is invited to the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Graduation Ceremony on Saturday December 13, 2025 to honor 16 students in the class of 2025. The ceremony will begin at 11a.m. in Shanklin Theatre. No tickets are required. For those who cannot attend in-person, the ceremony will also be live streamed at www.evansville.edu/live.</span></p>

The UE Holiday Ceramics Sale returns to the Melvin Peterson Gallery, with new items each day.

Tuesday, DEC. 9, 12-4

Friday, DEC. 12, 12-6

Saturday, DEC. 13, 12-4

All items are hand crafted on campus and are priced for holiday gift giving.

If you're passionate about helping new students make connections and find their way at UE, enhancing your leadership skills, and being a part of a close-knit team, apply to be an Orientation Leader for the 2025 school year! Deadline to apply is January 30th. 

Application Link: https://forms.office.com/r/GtRwcuHArb 

What is an Orientation Leader (OL)?   

An orientation leader is a student committed to serving the University by offering information and assistance to incoming and new students and their families. OLs wear many hats so they must possess a “we care” attitude as they support students during orientation, welcome week, and beyond. OLs are held to the highest standards of good conduct and must possess leadership skills that allow them to be good role models for other students.

The “We Care” Attitude 

OLs must be able to adapt and adjust quickly and easily to different situations and support a variety of differing needs and backgrounds of incoming students. A genuine interest in caring for people and an ability to spend long hours working with others are important. OLs are frequently asked to embody a spirit of team work and prioritize the needs of new students and family members above their own interests.

Qualifications 

• Understand and believe in the mission of the University of Evansville.  
• Support the University, including the regulations and policies as stated in the Student Handbook.  
• Must maintain a 2.5 G.P.A. and be a full-time student.  
• Must be in good disciplinary standing.  
• Must relate well with faculty, administrators, families, and new students.  
• Must be reliable, confident, sincere, flexible, and display a willingness to help others. 
• Must have good communication and time management skills. 
• Must have the character, academic success, and exemplary attitude that will serve as a good role model for others. 
• Must be able to meet all time commitments associated with the position. 

Do you have any questions? Contact co-chairs Cole Johnson (cj174@evansville.edu) or Elise Horton (eh341@evansville.edu).

Clark Kimberling, Professor of Mathematics at UE, recently published scores and recordings of his "72 Christmas Carols Arranged for Flute and Piano in Six Books."  Probably the largest collection of its kind, as most collections include fewer than 50 carols, the scores are downloadable from the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP): https://imslp.org/wiki/72_Christmas_Carols_(Kimberling%2C_Clark). For recordings, go to https://imslp.org/wiki/72_Christmas_Carols_(Kimberling%2C_Clark)#Recordings and click on "Performances". The recordings were made at UE in Wheeler Concert Hall with Professors Leanne Hampton and Anne Fiedler on flute and piano, and Charles Du Preez, recording engineer.

As we finish the semester and head into the holidays, Facilities is pleased to share our final newsletter of the year: Link Here: https://www.evansville.edu/offices/facilities/foundations-2025-12.cfm Inside, you’ll find:

• A Letter from the Assistant Director with a brief recap of the year and winter priorities.

• Our New Custodial Partner, FMS, and what their transition means for campus.

• Holiday Help Desk reminders for submitting work orders before break.

• New Faces joining the Facilities team.

• Utility Conservation Tips to help save energy during the break.

• A Maintenance Update on current operations and upcoming improvements.

Thank you for your support throughout the year. We wish everyone a safe and restful holiday season!

— Facilities Management Team

Join us on Saturday, January 17 for MLK Day of Service. Honor the legacy of Dr. King by giving back to the Evansville community. You can sign up as a group or as an individual, and after you register our team will assign you to a site. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt. The day begins at 7:30 AM in Eykamp. See you there!

MLK Day of Service Participant Registration 2026 – Fill out form

🚗 Be a Road Trip Host! 🤠

Hey Aces! Road Trip Rodeo is coming up, and we’re hyped to welcome admitted students to campus — but we need YOUR help to make it awesome.

Sign up to host a Road Tripper (or two) for the weekend! Don’t live in the dorms? No worries — commuters and fraternity members can move onto campus for the weekend.

As a host, you’ll get:
✨ A free Road Trip Rodeo T-shirt
🍽️ Friday night dinner
🎉 Access to all Road Trip events
🙌 The chance to show off how great UE life really is

Grab your roommates and sign up today — it’s gonna be a blast!
Questions? Hit us up at RoadTripHosting@evansville.edu

Make the most of your Winter Break by earning credits in just a few weeks. Whether you need to catch up, get ahead, or lighten your Spring 2026 course load, it's a smart way to stay on track!

Course Dates: December 12, 2025 – January 9, 2026
One Course Limit: Focus on one class and finish it before spring begins
Registration Opens: Monday, October 27, 2025 (during Spring 2026 registration)

Learn more about Winter Intersession

Don’t let winter pass you by — use it to get one step closer to graduation!

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – et for its final road non-conference game of the season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team travels to Notre Dame for a 1 p.m. CST game on Saturday inside Purcell Pavilion. The ACC Network and Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.

December 13, 1977

- Saturday marks the 48th anniversary of the plane crash that took the lives of 29 people including members of the Purple Aces men’s basketball team, coaching staff, support staff, boosters, and flight crew

Looking Back

- Saturday marks the first meeting between UE and Notre Dame since Nov. 10, 2012 when the Fighting Irish took a 58-49 victory

- Evansville’s second-leading career scorer Colt Ryan led UE with 15 points while the top scorer in program history - D.J. Balentine - made his collegiate debut and scored nine points in 17 minutes of work

Last Time Out

- Evansville battled to the final whistle before coming up just one point short in an 80-79 setback at Western Kentucky on Saturday

- Trailing by as many as 16 in the second half, UE had a chance to tie in its final possession

- Connor Turnbull set the single game UE mark with nine blocks on top of 19 points and eight rebounds

- Leif Moeller led the way with a career-high 21 points while Alex Hemenway scored 14

Record-Breaking Performance

- Connor Turnbull set the UE program record with nine blocked shots at WKU

- His total broke the previous Aces mark of eight, which happened on three occasions, and was the most by an MVC player since Ehimen Orukpe of Wichita State had nine against Southern Illinois on Jan. 9, 2013

- Turnbull added 19 points and 8 boards

- On Monday, he was named the MVC Player of the Week after posting 20 points, 9 boards, and 7 blocks against WKU and BSU

- In the win over Ball State, he posted season highs in points (21) and boards (5) on the way to his second collegiate double-double

- With 17 blocks in his last three games, Turnbull paces the MVC and is 7th in the nation with 2.89 per game; his total of 26 blocks is 9th in the NCAA

Triple Play

- Entering the second half of Saturday’s game at WKU, Leif Moeller had two points and was shooting just 21.2% (7-for-33) from long range for the season

- Out of the break, Moeller hit his first five outside attempts on his way to a career-high 21 points with 19 coming in the final half

- It passed his previous high of 14 points, which came in the win over Oregon State

- Moeller averaged 4.5 PPG over his first four games but has turned it on over the last six contests, averaging 9.33 PPG

- He is tied for 3rd in the conference with 4.0 assists per contest; he finished with eight helpers versus Calumet and OCU

Scouting the Opponent

- Notre Dame enters Saturday’s game with a record of 8-3 and is a perfect 6-0 inside Purcell Pavilion

- The Fighting Irish have won three in a row including home victories over Missouri (76-71) and Idaho (80-65) along with an 87-85 overtime road win at TCU

- Markus Burton, who leads UND with 18.5 PPG, is out due to an injury that was announced earlier in the week

- Jalen Haralson has averaged 14.5 points per game and is coming off a 20-point outing in Wednesday’s victory against Idaho

- Braeden Shrewsberry also averages double figures and enters the game at 10.8 PPG

KANSAS CITY – The University of Evansville men's soccer team was well-represented on the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team, with Martin Wurschmidt (Stavern, Norway/Thor Heyerdahl VGS) and Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain/IES Joan Miro) earning Second Team All-Region honors, the organization announced on Tuesday. Wurschmidt and Escudero were two of seven MVC players selected for All-West Region teams, while the Aces were the only Valley team with multiple All-Region selections.

Wurschmidt was named Evansville's third-ever MVC Defensive Player of the Year this season and the first since Robby Lynch in 2010, in addition to earning First Team All-Conference honors. Wurschmidt was a mainstay on the Evansville back line this season as the only Purple Aces field player to play all 1,800 minutes. As a unit, the Evansville defense limited conference opponents to a league-low .71 goals per game during regular season play, including four shutouts. Wurschmidt was also a threat on the offensive end of the pitch, going a perfect three-for-three from the penalty spot while adding an assist for a total of seven points.

Escudero continued Evansville's legacy of standout freshman this season, scoring a team-leading 11 goals. He became the fourth Purple Ace to be named MVC Freshman of the Year since 2020 and the fifth in the last eight seasons, in addition to receiving First Team All-MVC and All-Freshman Team accolades. His goal total was good for second among all freshmen in the country, while he was one of two freshmen in the country with four braces this season. Escudero also earned MVC All-Tournament Team laurels after notching a brace in a 4-1 semifinal win over UIC.

The University of Evansville (UE) is pleased to announce that it has received a $35,000 grant from the William E. Schmidt Foundation, continuing a longstanding partnership that has strengthened the University's music and opera programs for more than two decades.

The William E. Schmidt Foundation has supported UE and its music programs since 1998 and has provided dedicated support for the University's opera program since 2006. This latest grant will fund UE opera productions, community outreach efforts centered on music and opera, and scholarships within the UE Music Conservatory.

"The Schmidt Foundation has played a transformational role in advancing vocal performance and opera at the University of Evansville," said Dr. Alanna Keenan, Associate Professor of Music at UE. "Their generosity helps our students develop as artists while bringing high-quality performance experiences to the broader community."

Under the artistic direction of Dr. Keenan, with additional guidance from Dr. Dennis Malfatti and Dr. Gregory Rike, UE Opera has flourished as a dynamic force in the field of opera, enriching the lives of students and fostering a deep appreciation for the arts within the community. The Schmidt Foundation's grant will empower the program to continue its legacy of excellence and expand its community reach.

UE's opera program offers performance opportunities, professional-level training, and community engagement experiences that help students develop their artistic craft. The continued support of the Schmidt Foundation ensures that UE can remain a regional leader in developing the next generation of vocal artists.

The William E. Schmidt Foundation provided grant funding to UE Opera in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

For more information about the UE Opera and upcoming performances or to contact the Music Conservatory, please click here.