13 May Mike Frame is Staff Member of the Year

Mike Frame, associate director of athletics and head baseball coach, has been named Huntington University’s 2011 Staff Member of the Year. Earlier this month, Dr. David Alexander, assistant professor of philosophy, was named the 2011 Professor of the Year. The award recognizes outstanding service to the university.

Frame, who has been employed by the university for 27 years, was nominated by faculty and staff for the award and was selected by the university’s senior administrators. He was recognized for the award during the annual Celebration of Service banquet on May 9.

In comments read by President G. Blair Dowden, one person wrote, “(His) example of commitment, loyalty and passion to serve students has always been one of the best, most consistent and unrelenting efforts that I have seen,” one person wrote.

During Frame’s tenure, the Forester baseball team has captured the Mid-Central Conference title or conference tournament title 13 times, including a recent win over Marian University to secure a bid to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on May 12-16.

He has been honored as Mid Central Conference Coach of the Year five times, and has also been named the NAIA District and Area Coach of the Year. He was named NCCAA District Coach of the Year in 1988, and in 2003 he was inducted into the Huntington University Athletic Hall of Fame. Six years later, he was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame. The Foresters have finished with a 654-533 record during his tenure.

13 May HU’s Nursing Program Fully Accredited

Huntington University’s four-year-old nursing program has received full accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The program was awarded a five-year accreditation with no compliance concerns, the most a first-time program may receive under the guidelines of the accrediting body.

The Bachelor of Science in nursing degree is built upon Christian principles and is strengthened by a broad curriculum in the liberal arts. The program provides students with extensive on-campus and off-campus clinical experiences as well as in-depth training in human anatomy and physiology, chemistry and core courses in the liberal arts. The university’s state-of-the-art, 93,000-square-foot Science Hall houses the nursing lab complete with simulated patients.

10 May HU Launching New Writing Program Next Fall

Huntington University is launching a new bachelor’s degree program in writing during the fall 2011 semester.

The program–a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in writing– will offer new stand-alone classes in poetry and fiction along with a writing capstone. These courses will add to the existing writing curriculum, which includes creative nonfiction as well as history and structure of the English language. Uniquely, students will also have the opportunity to learn journalism through courses offered in the communication department, including introduction to news writing and advanced reporting and news writing.

“This major addresses a growing interest in creative writing for English students while also pushing them to develop skills in written journalism,” said Dr. Todd Martin, professor of English. “The value of the program is that students will be exposed to a variety of types of writing that will enhance any career they decide to pursue.”

10 May HU Seniors Donate Outdoor Basketball Court

Huntington University broke ground May 9, 2011, for a new outdoor basketball court–a gift from the senior class. The full-size court with two hoops will be located next to the Klopfenstein Tennis Courts on the southwest side of the Merillat Physical Education and Recreation Complex.

The cost came mostly from the senior class with the support of the Student Senate and the Student Activities Board. The remaining balance was raised through efforts of the Advancement Office and local businesses.

President G. Blair Dowden and Chris Dowden, first lady of the university, were present to accept the gift.

The project will be completed by Ironclad Excavating in Roanoke, Ind., with the help of a generous gift from Ironclad’s owners, Jenny and Junior Geiger. The basketball court will be finished this summer.

05 May 2011 Forester Night Awards

The 40th annual Huntington University Forester Night was held May 3. This is when awards are given out for lots of things.

The Forester of the Year awards, voted on by the students, went to:

• Male Forester of the Year: Philip Black, a senior theater performance major from Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Female Forester of the Year: Gloria Bonilla, a senior public relations major from La Ceiba, Honduras. (Gloria attended the United Brethren Bethel school in La Ceiba, but is not from a United Brethren church there.)

The 2011 Outstanding Scholar Award was given to Jared Grandlienard, a senior mathematics major from Bluffton, Ind.

Dr. David Alexander, assistant professor of philosophy, was named the 2011 Professor of the Year.

The 2011 Impact Initiative Scholarship was given to Chad Shellabarger, a sophomore nursing student from Rockford, Ohio. The award is presented by the Student Senate to a student who has had an impact on the university and the greater community. The student receives a $1000 scholarship for his or her junior and senior years.

Twenty seniors were also honored by their respective departments with Outstanding Senior Awards, which are voted on by faculty. You can read about all of those recipients, and see photos of them, on the Huntington University site.