12 May Amy Biegel: HU Prof of the Year

Amy Biegel accepting her award as Professor of the Year during Forester Night on May 6.

Amy Biegel, assistant professor of social work, was named the 2014 Professor of the Year during the May 6 Forester Night recognitions. Biegel has worked in the field of social work for more than 13 years, working mostly with children, adolescents, and their families. She is a licensed clinical social worker with a bachelor’s degree in both psychology and social work from Indiana Wesleyan University and a master’s in social work from Indiana University. She has worked in the foster care industry, in private practice, and as a mental health consultant. Before coming to HU in 2012, she was the clinical director at Youth for Christ.

Beigel and her husband, Ryan, have been married 14 years and have two children.

09 May HU Science Hall Named for the Dowdens

The Dowden Science Hall

Dr. G. Blair and Chris Dowden speaking at the dedication service on April 24. Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, current president of Huntington University, is on the right.

The newest major building on the Huntington University is the Science Hall, which opened in 2002. However, it hasn’t had a name…until now.

On April 24, the building was named the Dowden Science Hall, in honor of Dr. G. Blair Dowden and Chris Dowden, who led Huntington University for 22 years before retiring in May 2013. The Board of Trustees had announced in April 2013 that the Science hall would be named in their honor. Now, the new sign bearing their name has been unveiled.

Nursing is now HU’s largest major, with 90 students. The 91,000 square-foot facility is also home to the nursing, math, computer science, chemistry, biology, pre-med, and environmental science programs.

09 May Greg Smitley: New HU VP for Business & Finance

After a national search, Huntington University has named Greg Smitley (right) as vice president for business and finance/treasurer. Smitley graduated from HU in 1980 with a degree in business administration, and later earned a master’s in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Smitley spent 33 yeas in the banking industry, most recently as COO for iAB Financial Bank and as president/CEO for MarkleBank. He is currently president/CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana.

Over the years, Smitley has served Huntington University in a variety of ways, including as president of the alumni board and membership on the board of trustees.

06 May Staff/Faculty Openings at Huntington University

A variety of positions are open at Huntington University. They just announced an opening for Director of Alumni Relations. Other openings include:

Faculty Positions

• Digital Media Arts Faculty.
• Occupational Therapy Faculty.
• Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre and Technical Director.

Staff Positions

• Director of Alumni Relations/Director of the Forester Fund.
• Resident Director – Livingston Hall.
• Resident Director – Meadows and Miller Halls.
• Coordinator of Student Activities / Multicultural Activities.
• Admissions Counselor.

02 May Indiana Lt. Governor Speaking at Commencement

Sue Ellspermann (right), Indiana’s Lt. Governor, will deliver the Huntington University Commencement address on May 17. Ellspermann was elected to that position in November 2012. In her position, she manages six state agencies and serves as president of the Indiana Senate.

The Commencement ceremony will be held at 2:30 pm in the fieldhouse of the Merillat Complex at 2:30 p.m. The graduate hooding ceremony will occur at 10:45 am at the Church of the Nazarene in Huntington (1555 Flaxmill Road). The university will award master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees to 288 graduates.

The day of Commencement also will include a breakfast for graduates and their parents, an awards ceremony for Professional Programs students, and the president’s luncheon.

10 Apr HU Students Help with Flood Relief

Huntington University students filling sandbags.

In the midst of rising rivers and flooding streets, 16 Huntington University students chipped in to help Huntington County residents fill sandbags and deliver them across the area. The effort was the result of a Volunteer 911 request through the Friesen Center for Volunteer Services.

The call for help from the city came at 5:30 pm on April 3. The student leader of Volunteer 911 contacted the dorms, and within an hour a team was ready to serve.

The students spent several hours filling sandbags, and made deliveries to residents unable to pick up the sandbags themselves.

09 Apr April 22: Doug Moo Presents Chaney Bergdall Lectureship

Dr. Doug Moo (right), world-renowned New Testament scholar and author of several important works in Biblical studies, will be the speaker for the second-annual Bergdall Endowed Lectureship on Biblical Studies at 7 p.m. April 22 at Huntington University.

His presentation, titled “The Hope of Righteousness: The Christian and Final Justification,” will take place in the Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts on campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Date and Time: 7 pm April 22, 2014.
Location: Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts.
Address: Huntington University, 2303 College Ave., Huntington, Ind. 46750.

For more information, contact Dr. Mark R. Fairchild or call 260-359-4235.

The Bergdall lectureship is named in honor of Dr. Chaney Bergdall, professor emeritus of Bible and religion, who retired from the university in 2012.

01 Apr HU Students Win State-Wide Agriculture Contest

Huntington University won an agriculture contest. Actually, it was a public relations contest, but it involved agriculture–a marketing/PR campaign to promote agriculture to young-adult Hoosiers (ages 18-35).

HU’s team, named “Hoosier Grown,” was among 30 teams from 17 Indiana colleges that submitted entries in the contest. The 30 teams were winnowed down to three finalists, who made presentations at the Statehouse.

And Huntington won with their proposal, which includes a new brand image, an integrated social-media marketing plan, and an increase in awareness of the agriculture economy and opportunities. The two runners-up were the University of Indianapolis and the University of Southern Indiana.

They won money, too. Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann presented a $25,000 check to the team–$10,000 for Huntington University, the rest to be divided among the seven student team members–four seniors, one junior, and two sophomores.

Dr. Ann McPherren (right) led the HU team, which included a mix of majors–public relations, film production, business administration and marketing, graphic design, animation, and biology pre-med. Some of the team members grew up on or currently work on farms and were members of 4-H or active in the FFA. One team member serves as his county’s membership chairman for the Indiana Farm Bureau.

The prize money came from outside sponsors, including Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Elanco, and Indiana Farm Bureau.

21 Mar Five Horizon Scholarship Recipients

The Horizon Scholarship recipients. L-r: Allison Amstutz, Jessica Bombino, Leah Ness, Hannah Priskorn, and Selina Poh.

Five incoming Huntington University freshmen have been awarded the Horizon Leadership Scholarship for the 2014-2015 academic year.

• Allison Amstutz, of Berne, Ind., plans to major in nursing.
• Jessica Bombino, of St. John, Ind., plans to be a youth ministries major.
• Leah Ness, of Huntington, Ind., plans to study accounting.
• Hannah Priskorn, of Auburn, Ind., plans to be a psychology major.
• Selina Pohl, of Lansing, Mich., plans to be a nursing major.

A collaboration between Huntington University and Youth for Christ, the Horizon Leadership Scholarship was begun in 2008 to attract and retain students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The scholarship covers the recipient’s tuition and room-and-board for up to 10 semesters. This is made possible through a blend of federal, state, and institutional aid. Recipients are required to achieve and uphold a standard of academic performance, community service, and spiritual and social growth.

18 Mar HU Leaders at Zhuhai #1 Senior High School

Dr. Emberton meeting with Mr. Han Yanhui, principal of Zhuhai #1 Senior High School.

Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University, toured Zhuhai #1 Senior High School. They talked with Mr. Han Yanhui, the principal, about opportunities for academic partnership.  Zhuhai #1 School is the top high school in Zhuhai City, a city over 1.5 million people in southern Guangdong Province.

Dr. Emberton and her fellow travelers from Huntington University, Dr. Luke Fetters Shoshannah McKinney, are spending spring break in China meeting with educators about possible partnerships with HU. A previous article told more about that.