05 Oct Homecoming to be Held October 7-8

Huntington University’s annual Homecoming will be held October 7-8, 2011 (Friday and Saturday). Here’s the complete schedule.

05 Oct HU to Recognize Four Alumns

L-r: Dawn Routledge, Larry Russell, Jason Eberly, and Nathan Hartman.

Huntington University will recognize four alumni during Homecoming festivities this weekend. The recognition ceremony will be held at 1 pm on Saturday, October 8, in the Merillat fieldhouse.

• Dawn M. Routledge, a 1993 graduate from Reading, Mich., will receive the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Citation. She and her husband, Doug, created a nonprofit community youth program called Crossroad Farms to minister to teens around their community of Reading.
• Larry A. Russell, a 1971 graduate from Franktown, Colo., and a native of Peoria, Ill., will be recognized with the 2011 Alumnus of the Year Award. He will be recognized for his service with Youth for Christ and, more recently, with the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism. He was associate director for Cape Town 2010, the Third World Congress on Evangelism.
• Jason Eberly, a 2010 graduate from Los Angeles, Calif., and a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., will receive the 2011 Young Alumnus Award. As a student, director and producer, Eberly helped create more than a dozen narrative short films and one feature film. His work has been shown in more than 16 international film festivals. He currently works as an assistant to a senior talent agent at International Creative Management, one of the largest and most reputable talent agencies in the world.
• Nathan Hartman, a 2010 graduate from Huntington, Ind., and a native of Berne, Ind., will also receive the 2011 Young Alumnus Award. He has created six films and has received 14 festival and showcase awards. Hartman has returned to HU as an adjunct professor in the digital media arts department.

You can read more about these Huntington University alumni on the University website.

29 Sep Shelly Francka New HU EXCEL Director

Shelly Francka has joined Huntington University’s EXCEL Adult Degree Programs as its new director. She replaces Rick Upchurch, who left this summer to take a position with a college in South Dakota.

Francka comes to the university from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., where she was the director of the MBA program. She holds a Master in Business Administration degree from Southwest Baptist University, a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, and an Associate in Science degree in practical nursing. She is currently working on her doctorate in business administration.

“The passion and dedication of faculty and staff of Huntington University was instrumental my decision to join HU,” Francka said. “It is so refreshing to see such dynamic individuals unite for a common goal, shared vision, and student success.”

As the new director, Francka hopes to continue to support growth in the current EXCEL programs, create a greater awareness of EXCEL in the local communities, and develop new programs by identifying employer and community needs.

“I would love in the next two years for the enrollment to double,” she said.

23 Sep HU Students Offer PE for Homeschoolers

Huntington University’s physical education students are offering a homeschool P.E. program for children ages 3 through 5th grade this fall.

Children will be split into one of four developmental levels: preschool (ages 3 and 4), grades K-1, grades 2-3 and grades 4-5. Classes are held in the Merillat physical education complex from 2:15 to 3 p.m. every Thursday from September 29 to December 8.

This service is available free to all area homeschooled children. Huntington University students conducting the elementary physical education class are either physical education majors or elementary education majors. (More information here.)

21 Sep Strong Fall Enrollment at HU

Huntington University recorded a strong enrollment this fall with the third highest overall enrollment in the school’s history, just 1.3% beneath the 2010 enrollment. Graduate and adult programs both set new enrollment records.

For fall 2011:

• Huntington enrolled 1,009 undergraduate students, including its second largest class of traditional degree-seeking students.
• The Graduate School set an enrollment record with 92 students.
• The EXCEL Adult Degree Program set an enrollment record with 161 students.

Huntington strives to provide new and innovative programs for its students. The film studies, film production, and animation programs grew to 116 students overall this fall, up from 108 in 2010. The nursing program saw a 23% increase, with 75 students enrolled in the program this year.

Other tidbits about this fall’s student body:

• Students hail from 23 countries and 35 states.
• 63% are from Indiana.
• 5% are ethnic minorities.

08 Sep Sept. 17 Women’s Auxiliary Breakfast

Huntington University’s Women’s Auxiliary’s Fall Breakfast will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 17 in the upper level of the Habecker Dining Commons on campus. The speaker will be Dr. Matthew Ruiz of the Huntington University Exercise Science Department.

Ruiz’s topic is “Energy for Everyone! Exercises for Your Comfort Zone that can strengthen your body, mind, and spirit.” He will be showing types of exercises for various types of “comfort zones.”

Ruiz was a competitive baseball player, basketball player and personal trainer for 14 years. He has conducted applied sport psychology consultations since 2001 with various athletes and teams including volleyball, swimming, baseball, gymnastics, football and tennis.

The breakfast is a buffet and costs $7. Please make a reservation with either Pat Jones, 260-359-4075 or 260-356-7365, or Linda Bordeaux, 260-672-2598 by Sept. 14.

The Huntington University Women’s Auxiliary exists for the purpose of linking campus and community. It provides help with amenities in university dorms, as well as maintaining some scholarships. The project for this year is to sponsor reupholstering of the furniture for Roush dorm lounge.

08 Sep Death of HU Trustee Fred Geyer

From Dr. G. Blair Dowden, President of Huntington University:

“I am sad to share with you that long time trustee and alumnus of Huntington University, Fred Geyer, unexpectedly passed away at 7:15 p.m. this evening at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne. Fred has been an avid Huntington University supporter since his graduation in 1950 with a degree in biology. He served on the Board of Trustees for 15 years and continued to serve as a Trustee Emeritus, always taking an interest in our students and our growth and development as a Christ-centered institution.

“Fred was the founder and president of Geyer Instructional Aids for 40 years and donated significant scientific equipment and classroom materials to the university throughout the years. He was a true gentleman and a strong servant of our Lord. He will be greatly missed. Please pray for Pauline, his spouse of 60 years, and the family as they deal with this tremendous loss.”

06 Sep Thanks to Women’s Groups from the HU Auxiliary

Thanks from the Huntington University Women’s Auxiliary to the Women’s Missionary Fellowship and Women’s Ministry groups across the United Brethren denomination who graciously contributed to the 2010-11 completion of the Baker/Roush Hall Prayer Room project.

Malory Jones, resident director, has responded to the few touches added this fall in completing the modest meditation room: “The Prayer Room looks fantastic! So clean and polished looking! Thanks for all your hard work. May the room be utilized much this year.”

Funds received from the summer letter to the denominational women’s groups also contribute toward our present project of partial funding for the lovely reupholstery of furniture in the Roush Main Lounge. Come see!

Gratefully,

The HU Women’s Auxiliary Executive Team

Barbara Fetters and Judy Campbell, co-presidents
Chris Dowden, vice president
Ruth Weber, secretary
Deb Cherry, treasurer
Sue Cherry, corresponding secretary
Jean Michelson, publicity secretary

01 Sep HU Welcomes 15 New Faculty and Staff

L-r: Sheila Counterman, Anita Gray, Jonathan Hicks, Carrie Lloyd, Joni Schmalzried, Matthew Wright. (click to enlarge)

Fifteen new faculty and staff have joined Huntington University for the 2011-12 school year. In the teaching area, the newcomers are:

• Sheila Counterman, instructor of nursing.
• Anita Gray, assistant professor of library science and director of library services.
• Jonathan Hicks, assistant professor of theater.
• Dr. Carrie Lloyd, assistant professor of psychology.
• Dr. Joni Schmalzried, assistant professor of education.
• Dr. Matthew Wright, assistant professor of mathematics.

You can read about all 15 new employees (with photos) on the Huntington University site.

26 Aug New This Fall: Evening TESOL Certificate Program

Beginning in the fall of 2011, the EXCEL Adult Degree Program at Huntington University will offer a TESOL certificate program.

The 15-credit hour TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate will equip adult students to work effectively with English language learners in their churches or social service organizations.

The program involves four courses and a practicum, and is offered on the university’s main campus in Huntington. Courses, available in an accelerated, evening format, include intercultural communication, instructional methods for listening and speaking, as well as instructional methods for reading and writing.

Classes are now enrolling for the fall. For more information, call 800-600-4888 or visit huntington.edu/EXCEL.

The Institute for TESOL Studies at Huntington University was founded in 2009 as an outgrowth of long-term relationships between Huntington University faculty and educators in China.