While 2020 brought unexpected changes and challenges, most due in part to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Indiana University East remained resilient.

Eric Mejia received The Richard J. Wood Student Community Commitment Award from Indiana Campus Compact during the 10th Annual Summit held last February in Indianapolis.

During the year, the campus community and alumni provided innovative solutions for teaching and learning, meaningful service to those in need and creative engagement for those in isolation.

While the year was difficult, we invite you to review some of the accomplishments, celebrations and memorable moments of IU East’s students, faculty, staff, alumni and campus during 2020.

Accomplishments and Recognition
The year brought several opportunities to recognize the accomplishments and recognition of members of the campus community and its academic programs.

To begin 2020, IU East Chancellor Kathy Girten received a community leadership award from the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce in January. The Art Vivian Distinguished Community Leader Award represents the highest recognition given by the chamber to an individual member of the business community.

Several IU East students also received recognition and awards.

In February, Eric Mejia of Richmond, Indiana, received the Richard J. Wood Student Community Commitment Award from Indiana Campus Compact. Mejia is a double-major in business administration and Spanish.

Infographic for IU East’s School of Education and East Central Education Service Center collaboration for an Indiana Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) grant.

The same month Morgan Weaver received a nomination for an Intern of the Year award from Indiana INTERNnet. Weaver, of New Castle, Indiana, completed an internship with WholeHeart Communications, LLC. She now works full time with the company as the public relations consultant and content creator.

IU East celebrated all current and past interns across its @iueast social media platforms on Indiana Intern Day held July 30. Posts for the campaign can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #INinternday and #iueast.

Three IU East art students had their work accepted to to the “Academics in the Pandemic” online international exhibition in the spring. The virtual exhibition includes the hand-carved soap rings of Eli Howell, Courtney Clever, and Lily Smith. Howell’s wearable necklace made from paper is also included in the virtual exhibit. The exhibition focuses on the shift from in person classes to online, and how students and educators had to think on their feet and use the materials available to them during quarantine. Rose Schlemmer, adjunct professor of metalsmithing and jewelry design, has a carved soap ring project prompt featured as part of the exhibit as well called “Stay Home.”

In August, the School of Education (SoE) and the East Central Education Service Center received a $304,000 grant from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. The grant provides certification and training for virtual instruction to 62 elementary and secondary school teachers from 42 districts across East Central Indiana, to potentially have a positive impact on over 60,000 students. Districts select teachers for training, and they will earn a Graduate Certificate in Online Learning and Assessment offered by the SoE tuition free.

IU East student Julia Titus studies online while on campus during the start of the fall 2019 semester.

September brought many highlights for IU East students, faculty and academic programs as well.

Three initiatives from School of Business and Economics students and faculty member Tim Scales received nominations from the 2020 University Economic Development Association (UEDA) Awards of Excellence in the Talent Category. The initiatives nominated included In Your Business Television, Business Opportunities for Self Starters (BOSS) program, and Cash Equals Opportunities (CEOs). Johnny Fike, double-major in criminal justice and business, Bradford, Ohio; João Vitor de Lima, business administration major, Curitiba, Brazil; and Cole Fosbrink, finance major, Seymour, Indiana, received the nomination for the CEOs program. Scales, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Center for Economic Education and senior lecturer, received nominations for In Your Business and BOSS.

In October, the UEDA announced BOSS won the Talent Category. The program introduces local high school students to economics and entrepreneurship and teaches them how to produce a business plan.

Memorable Moments, Events and Celebrations
The IU Bicentennial celebrations continued in 2020. IU East hosted signature events this year to recognize the 200th year of the university, including a virtual Commencement Celebration for the Class of 2020.

IU East celebrated the accomplishments of its students with a virtual Honors Convocation on April 30. The Honors Convocation is an annual event to announce the recipients of Chancellor’s Scholar Awards, Outstanding Student Awards, and Honors Program graduates. Watch the Virtual Honors Convocation at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2656810594575600

The regional campus also completed its part of the For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign on September 30. For All is the university’s largest fundraising campaign in its 200-year history, and one of the largest by a public university. The 2012-2020 campaign raised nearly $3.9 billion overall for university programs, capital projects, and endowment investment. IU East received nearly $8 million in new philanthropy during the campaign.

The Coronavirus COVID-19 brought many changes in March 2020, both internationally and right here at home in Wayne County. To help keep students, faculty, staff and the community healthy, IU East moved all courses online for the remainder of the spring semester. Eventually, summer 2020 and fall classes – following the Thanksgiving break – and the Intersession (now through February 8, 2021) moved to an all-online format as well.

While there were many changes and cancellations, Red Wolf spirit continued through challenges and the details of observing health protocols such as consistent hand-washing, wearing protective face masks, and social distancing.

Faculty, staff and students did more than just step up to the challenge of virtual teaching and learning. Many faculty led the way and assisted others in learning how to teach online, including colleagues on campus or other institutions near and far, and teachers at the K-12 level. This three-part series shares IU East’s transition to all-online instruction; and it is the spring cover story for IU East’s alumni magazine, Radius.

Paige Mullins of Muncie, Indiana, is one of IU East’s Class of 2020 graduates. Mullins received a Bachelor of Social Work degree. She shared a cap and gown photo as part of the virtual Commencement Celebration on IU East’s social media in May.

Alumni, students, faculty and staff all contributed to the safety measures and led in efforts to brighten their communities, even while in quarantine. Here are just a few of the alumni and faculty who went above and beyond.

• Alumni teachers help cheer up students during COVID quarantine with Centerville-Abington School car parade
• Q&A: IU East’s director of Behavioral Health provides tips for mental health, Virtual Counseling for students during COVID-19
• Q&A: IU East’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean provides healthy guidelines for COVID-19
• IU East School of Business and Economics experts offer business insights on surviving pandemic
• Make the most of technology tools while social distancing
• Q&A: IU East associate professor of political science shares insight on CARES Act
• IU East alumnus Ryan Shaw prepares Stage One Youth Theatre for first online production
• IU East graduate longs for normalcy after virus
• IU East alumnus shares how learning balance between athletics and academics helped to prepare him for professional nursing
• IU East alumnus returns from retirement to battle disease
• Q&A: IU East School of Education faculty provides tips and information as parents prepare their children for K-12 this fall
• IU East announces 42nd annual Whitewater Valley Art Competition awards, entrants

At the start of COVID-19, several IU East campus and community events campus and community events were postponed or cancelled for health and safety reasons.

Welcome to the Pack, Class of 2024. IU East’s welcoming committee visited local incoming freshmen class members to giveaway Red Wolves swag this summer.

Despite COVID-19, life continued. The campus community found new ways to stay connected, using tools already at our fingertips. Creativity and technology provided the online formats to stay connected. Zoom and Google Meet became part of our new daily routines. Virtual platforms allowed for the continuation of outreach, care, service and programs centered on academics and health.

IU East’s administration was determined to offer students, campus and the community the same experience – as much as possible – for virtual events as they would have had in person on campus.

Student-focused events for academics, recognition and accomplishments moved to an online format including Student Research Day, Senior Capstone Exhibition, Honors Convocation, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2023, Celebration of Student Writing, and much more. Rufus the Red Wolf provided updates on Twitter of what the campus mascot was doing during quarantine as well.

Many events were created for a virtual format to showcase the expertise and talent of faculty, staff and students. Weekly Facebook Live events ranged from yoga, tips for parents, basic Spanish, and performances of musically talented faculty and staff.

Additional virtual campus events included the Faculty Scholarship Celebration, Domestic Violence Month and Walk A Mile in Her Shoes, Spirit in Philanthropy, and the Adulting 101 series.

IU East renovated Vivian Auditorium in 2020. The project, completed in June 2020, updated sound technology, seating, carpeting and appearance.

The 42nd Whitewater Valley Art Competition was held entirely virtual, including submitting entries online for jurying, the awards and entries announcement, and exhibition.

In another first, IU East celebrated First Gen Week virtually on social media with #IAmFirst in November. In December, IU East faculty Ange Cooksey and Edwina Helton, and Tatyana Whited, a senior Honors Program student, organized the “First Midwest Regional Virtual Conference: Breaking Down Barriers and Building Bridges.” The virtual conference was held on December 12 for young women interested in STEAM careers. IU East faculty Ann Kim, Carrie Longley and Parul  Khurana presented during the online conference.

IU East celebrated the graduating class in May. The Class of 2020 received 853 diplomas. The campus celebrated the achievements of graduates with a virtual Graduation Celebration on IU East and IU social media platforms. Graduates shared their cap and gown photos, and unique celebrations from their home on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #IUEGrad20, #iueast and #PackStrong.

New Student Orientation this fall included both on-campus and virtual components. Incoming freshmen students could attend an open house the week before classes as well as the virtually held Resource Fair and First Year Convocation.

As we said farewell to our graduates, we also welcomed the incoming freshmen, the Class of 2024.

This year’s incoming freshmen also experienced many firsts. They were the first class to attend virtual Campus Visits and New Student Orientations. Before the start of classes, IU East visited hundreds of members in the Class of 2024. The welcoming committee led by Amber Hall, special events coordinator, traveled throughout Wayne, Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Jay, Rush and Union counties in Indiana and Preble and Darke counties in Ohio to deliver IU East shirts and swag to welcome freshmen to the pack.

The First-Year Convocation included a week of open house events for incoming freshmen so that they could socially distance while getting familiar with the campus and a virtual Resource Fair. They also attended Extreme Summer Jumpstart virtually.

In other new experiences for all students this fall, the Office of Campus Life hosted the first drive-up events for Back with the Pack and Homecoming. IU East provided on-location activities at Paint the Towne in Richmond and Today’s Harvest in New Paris, Ohio, for students to register and attend, while masked and practicing physical distancing. Students could also pick-up do-it-yourself activities from Campus Life for Halloween and Relaxation Week ahead of final exams.

IU East hosted drive-thru events this year for Back with the Pack and Homecoming to provide students with safe events during the pandemic.

IU East had many more memorable moments and celebrations throughout 2020 aside from the impact of COVID-19.

The IU Alumni Association East Region chapter formed as a new group. The merger of the IU East Alumni Association and the East Central Indiana Chapter of the IU Alumni Association unifies campus alumni boards and chapters.

IU East announced the campus would offer new test-optional scholarships for incoming freshmen beginning the 2020-2021 academic year.  IU East no longer requires incoming freshmen to submit standardized test scores for admission. Students may qualify for two test-optional scholarships: IU East Academic Excellence Scholarship or the IU East Success Scholarship awards.

IU East is proud of its more than 10,000 alumni. And during the time of COVID we are especially proud of our alumni nurses, law enforcement and first responders, social workers, and teachers.

IU East surpassed its fundraising goal with the “People of the Pack: Get on Board the Cutout Campaign.” Benefits from the campaign went to the IU East Marilyn Watkins Red Wolf Student Support Fund to provide emergency funding for students.

This November the School of Education and campus had an opportunity to celebrate its most recent graduates who are excelling in teaching. Teachers with degrees from IU East continue to excel in Indiana Department of Education ratings. One-hundred percent of IU East’s SoE graduates from the past three years were considered “effective” or “highly effective” by their principals in the 2018-2019 school year. The ratings mean that IU East is producing some of the most effective teachers in the state.

Gifts supporting students
Members of the community and campus have stepped up during challenging times in several different ways.

Many people have recognized an increased need for students who are impacted financially by COVID-19. There is the continued recognition of the importance of completing a college degree and providing students with funding to meet their goals through contributing to and creating scholarships.

A new scholarship was established by one of IU East’s longest serving faculty members, Joan Esterline Lafuze, professor of biology. Her son’s legacy and her love for IU East led her to endow the Robert Lawrence Lafuze Scholarship, announced in June 2020. She is joined in the endeavor by her daughters Jeannette Ogborn, Leanne Lafuze (Lighty) and Mary Comer. The scholarship benefits students pursuing a degree from the IU East School of Natural Science and Mathematics with a hope of going into medicine.

IU East’s men’s track and field team won its first River States Conference title during the championships held in February 2020. The women’s team received the runner-up plaque at the conference championships.

Lafuze retires from the university this December. She has worked at IU East for more than 30 years and has taught classes at the majority of IU’s campuses.

In September, the campus and community raised more than $2,500 with the “People of the Pack” campaign to support the student emergency fund. The campaign invited alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents of student-athletes, and community members to participate with a display of campus spirit by donating $50. Recognition of the gift included a cardboard cutout of participants placed in a campus building.

Donations benefitted the IU East Marilyn Watkins Red Wolf Student Support Fund, providing emergency support for students facing unforeseen financial hardships from food insecurity to unexpected medical expenses to limited access to technology. The success of the campaign was announced in October.

Also in October, the campus announced an anonymous gift to IU East’s food pantry which provides help to students experiencing food insecurity. The anonymous $20,000 gift has made a positive impact for students experiencing food insecurity, especially during the pandemic.

The second Red Wolf Athletics Challenge Match was held in November. Red Wolves athletic teams once again surpassed their goal to raise $2,500 per program in donations. All teams collectively raised $31,990.

Sheliece Watkins and Kevaray Gillette were the first women’s track and field team members to participate at the NAIA Indoor National Championship in South Dakota in early March 2020.

Additions, Enhancements and Renovations to Campus
Vivian Auditorium underwent a renovation beginning in December 2019. The auditorium now has a new look. The auditorium is equipped with updated sound technology, seating, carpeting and a fresh appearance. The project was completed this summer.

Another new renovation project began in 2020. IU East began the Hot Water project, the campus’ conversion to a new heating system in Whitewater Hall. The natural gas and water heating system will be more cost effective and save energy. The updated system will provide efficiency, consistent temperature control and will reduce the campus’ carbon footprint. Phase One of this project began in fall 2020 and was completed this winter. IU East is now in Phase Two of the project which includes work in the Southwest end of the first floor of Whitewater Hall.

Red Wolves Athletics
Red Wolves Athletics continued at the start of fall 2020. IU East followed university and county health guidelines to implement spectator policies to keep student-athletes safe while continuing to offer sports.

The Red Wolves men’s basketball team won the River States Conference Men’s Basketball Championship on Lingle Court in the Student Events Center in March 2020.

Before the start of COVID, the IU East track and field program enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at the NAIA Indoor National Championship in Brookings, South Dakota, in early March. IU East’s Seth Reynolds, Justin Lowe, Joe Brown and Will Mundy all earned All-America honors as part of IU East’s 4×400 meter relay that finished fifth at the national meet. Reynolds also finished in the top eight in the 60-meter hurdles to conclude his career with six All-America medals.

The IU East women’s track and field program was represented at the national meet for the first time. Kevaray Gillette and Sheliece Watkins competed in the 60-meter hurdles in Brookings.

The national meet was a successful encore to IU East’s performance at the River States Conference Championship at Tiffin, Ohio, in February. There, the IU East men’s track and field team won the first RSC title in program history. The Red Wolf women brought home the team runner-up plaque.

Krystal Schmidt of Chrisney, Indiana, is the Naomi Osborne Scholar for the Class of 2020. The human life sciences major graduated in May with minors in in psychology, exercise science, chemistry and neuroscience.
She was a member of the IU East Red Wolves women’s tennis team. As a singles player, Schmidt earned 56 wins, more than any other tennis player in the program’s history. Schmidt was also active off the court as a volunteer, member of the Student Government Association and Circle K.

The national track and field meet proved to be the final IU East athletics event of the 2019-20 school year before the COVID-19 pandemic halted college athletics across the country.

In a year when so much changed, one thing stayed the same: the IU East men’s basketball program claimed a River States Conference championship banner.

The Red Wolves won the RSC Championship for the fourth time in six years with a hard-fought 70-65 victory against IU Kokomo in the RSC Championship title game held March 3 on Lingle Court. IU East clinched a spot in the NAIA National Championship for the sixth consecutive year, but the national tournament was canceled before the Red Wolves could take the court.

IU East’s Bishop Smith, who became the Red Wolf program’s career leader in points and wins during his senior season, also was named IU East’s first NAIA All-Star. Smith later was named the River States Conference all-sports Athlete of the Year.

IU East tennis player Krystal Schmidt exemplified “student-athlete” throughout her four years at IU East. Her efforts were rewarded throughout the spring and summer. Schmidt was the Naomi Osborne Scholar, an honor given to the graduate with the highest grade point average, for the IU East Class of 2020. Schmidt later earned first-team recognition on the prestigious NAIA Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large Team. Just 10 athletes in the nation make the first-team Academic All-America list.

The IU East volleyball team was announced as the inaugural recipient of the River States Conference “Team of Character” award during the summer. The Red Wolf volleyball team was among the national leaders in service hours recorded during the 2019-20 school year. The honor proved an omen of good things to come for the volleyball program.

The Red Wolves volleyball team completed the fall season with a 13-1 record. The team qualifies for the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship in the spring. The volleyball team is also this year’s inaugural recipients of the River States Conference “Team of Character” award.

The Red Wolves navigated the pandemic-affected 2020 fall season with a 13-1 record and qualified for the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship, which is scheduled to take place this spring. A highlight was IU East freshman Jessica Swimm earning NAIA National Player of the Week honors in late October – a first in the Red Wolves’ proud volleyball history.

IU East also will be represented at the NAIA Cross Country National Championship this spring. Red Wolf runners Chance Klipstine and Julia Arruda earned spots in the national meet on the strength of their performances at the River States Conference Championship held in Rio Grande, Ohio, in early November.

The pandemic erased scores of competitions from the IU East athletics schedules, but Red Wolf athletes maintained a top-notch effort in the classroom and in the community. IU East earned “Gold” status – the highest possible distinction – on the NAIA’s list of Champions of Character institutions for the 2019-20 school year. IU East athletes finished the 2019-20 school year with a 3.28 cumulative GPA. Fourteen Red Wolf programs made the NAIA Scholar-Team list – the most in department history.