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40 Cool Things We Love About USI
We picked 40 cool things we loved about USI, but there are way more than that. From the Kiwibot that deliver food across campus to the NASA grants that allow students to explore space and more, read them here.
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Imagine All The People
It was happenstance that led musical virtuoso Lori (Goodman) Kissinger '84 to starting a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the arts to people with disabilities. So far, she has gotten them on stage at the Ryman, Dollywood, the Grand Ole Opry House, CMA, the Ford Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Caverns and more.
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On The Grow
The impressive 82,200 feet added to the front of the Recreational, Fitness, and Wellness Center not only provides students with an awesome relaxation and game area, it brings departments vital to student life under one roof.
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Tailfeather
Miles Mann is not only the pointman for fixing things on campus, this former U.S. Navy pilot has been a national Sports Official for 47 years who was once pursued by a lovesick black swan. Get to know Miles better in this Q&A.
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World View
Elizabeth Thang '18 earned her business degree with the future in mind, knowing one day it would be put to good use in her homeland Myanmar.
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Behind the Beak
Ever wonder what it would be like to be Archibald T. Eagle? The anonymous man or woman inside the suit spills the beans in this Q&A.
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Homecourt
Get to know the new Head Baseball Coach Chris Ramirez, new Assistant Coach Women's Soccer Alliyah Varga and more.
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Unsung Heros
Their love of sports means they don't even get to watch the events. Hear from five dedicated members of the scoring crew on why they do it.
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President's Report
Interim President Steven J. Bridges '89 M'95 started his USI career as an accountant in the Business Office. HIs years of leadership and dedication to USI makes his message and priorities poignant.
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Tour the RFWC
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Secrets at the Zoo
Biology majors are not the only USI graduates who go on to work at a zoo. Learn about the behind-the-scenes workings of Evansville's Zoo from alumni who majored in art, geology, public relations, sociology and more.
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Field Notes
Animal lovers unite! Alumni reveal why and how they were drawn to work and/or volunteer animals.
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Exploring the Animal World Through Scientific Research
Parthenogenesis: development of eggs without fertilization. Is that what happened with the Jamaican boa snake housed in USI's Biology Department?
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Paws, Claws and Probes. Oh My!
It was the Komodo dragon's long claws and hissing that unnerved USI faculty and alumna Dr. Kathy Peak the most as she probed the dragon's belly with the ultrasound wand.
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Secret online zoo Videos
USI alumni are making a positive difference in every facet of our community. At Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, the top leadership are USI alumni. Hear what they have to say about their work at the Zoo.
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President's Perspective
Dr. Ronald Rochon reveals a lesson he and his family learned from their pet, Jaz Rochon (a beautiful, jet-black, cockapoo).
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Insider Insights to wildlife photography
Decades of photographing wildlife in Southern Indiana have made Daniel Craig, Associate Professor of Music and Director of the USI Chamber Choir and Women's Choir, an expert.
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Scoreboard
The Women's Basketball team conquered and captured both the 2023-2024 Ohio Valley Conference regular season title and the 2024 OVC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship.
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The Big Picture
USI's Bass Fishing Team, founded in 2018 as one of the University's seven Club Sports, has a tale to tell.
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Tailfeather
Jaz Rochon, USI President Rochon's family dog, agreed to be interviewed and let readers know what it's like living with the Rochons.
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Mountains to Climb
Alice Burris always intended to earn a college degree; it just took her 39 years to achieve what she started in 1984. But then, nothing in Alice's life went according to plan; at least, not her plan.
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Heat Mapping Motivation
It’s no secret that people love dogs—from cute photos to countless viral videos, puppies have been known to provide happiness and comfort at times when it’s most needed. They can even make someone more inclined to buy a certain product.
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Bird Box
The story of USI's Bluebird Trail project and the ornithological research of those blue feathered friends begins more than 150 years ago.
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President's Perspective
Dr. Ronald Rochon comtemplates the microscope higher education has been put under versus the return-on-value of a college education.
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Student POV
Growing up I did not believe college was for people like me. People who grew up without a father and got in trouble with the law.
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From the Desk of
Troy Miller ruminates on the value of people besides parents in children's lives and how he would not be where he is today without the presence of his grandparents.
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Scoreboard
Tune in to hear what cross country runner Carson Kleinhelter '25 says about life as a USI athlete.
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Tailfeather
USI's first in-house counsel Chief Government and Legal Affairs Officer Aaron Trump discusses his role at the University.
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Into the Woods
When the nonprofit Wesselman Woods needed a helping hand, USI faculty, alumni and students delivered with their skills and knowledge. Learn about the unique project they collaborated on to improve the experience of visiting Wesselman Woods.
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Portal to the Past
The murderous lynching of seven Black men was only whispered about for 144 years. Now USI and several of its departments are collaborating to ensure we can all learn from it.
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The Recipe for Success
When Cameron Kainer arrived to be the inaugural Head Coach of the Men's and Women's Swimming/Diving teams, all that greeted him was a beautiful, new empty pool. Today, the teams are making waves in the competitive collegiate world.
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From the Desk of...
Dr. Del Doughty, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, collaborated with an AI to write a paper and graded the results. Now he's making a prediction about the future of AIs in the classroom.
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State of the U
President Rochon reflects on the importance of seeing beyond the façade people present and working to discover their true essence.
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How X Got Here
Emily Gartner's business administration degree has served her well since earning it in 1984. Her fabulous career as a serial entrepreneur has been as colorful as she is intrepid. Discover how her path in life could inspire you.
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Awesome Alumni
Alumna Jaimie Sheth '01 is on a mission to ensure people near and far have housing, clean water, schools and more.
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Immortalized in Oil
A little insight into the four USI Presidents' portraits hanging on the top floor of the David L. Rice Library and the artists behind each one.
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Scoreboard
Maya Etienne '23, computer information systems, splits her time on the field with USI's Women's Soccer team, cheering for her teammates and blocking balls as a goalie.
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World View
Engineering student Bohdan Yarovyi escaped Ukraine during the war. He is now a student at USI (his sister is an alumna) and shares part of his story in this issue.
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Tailfeather
Alum César Berríos Chavarría '13 M'18 parents moved to the United States to give their children the American Dream. Now César is paying it forward by helping other college students.
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Plumes of Smoke
Alumnus Hans Schneider ’01 pens a thoughtful-piece on his year living in Ukraine on a Fulbright grant researching wooden churches and his family living through today’s Russian-Ukraine war.
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Ukraine Matters
Dr. Andrew Buck, Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology, talks with alumnus Hans Schneider ‘01 about Fulbright grants, advocacy and why the Russian-Ukraine war should matter to the world.
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Rising Phoenix: A True Tale of Triumph
Katelyn Vinci '21 M'23 never imagined she would one day be a college graduate. This provocative, heartfelt essay reveals what it was like for her to be homeless as a child.
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A Seat at the Table
Every two years, one student is selected by the Governor of Indiana to sit on the Board of Trustees. Learn what they do and what it was like for the first Student Trustee Eric Williams ’89 and the current Student Trustee Liam Collins ’23 to be part of USI going independent and Division I.
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A Piece of the D1 Pie
The University's decision to advance to Division I athletics as part of the Ohio Valley Conference didn’t spring up overnight. This move was a long time in the making and positions USI to be showcased on a national scale.
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State of The U
Once a competitive swimmer in high school, President Rochon reflects on what he learned from having that opportunity and on USI today being part of Division I athletics in the Ohio Valley Conference.
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Scoreboard
Student-athlete Addisyn Backwell ’22 brings her game to the basketball court and accounting classroom. Get to know her thoughts in this Q&A.
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Student POV
First-year student Tegan Ruhl ’24 was not prepared for the emotional upheaval she’d experience during her first semester. Fortunately, she found her way out of depression and put herself on a new path forward in life.
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From the Desk of
Janet Johnson M'05, Director of Alumni Relations and Volunteer USI, writes about the mentors she’s had in life and the value alumni mentors bring to students through the Screagles Mentoring Program.
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Tailfeather
Professor Xavia Harrington Burton’s path to becoming an educator started with a superhero teacher who inspired students in Burton’s rural South Carolina community to dream bigger than what their small town offered. She did!
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Matchmakers
USI's Career Services and Internships Department is all about students' futures. Find out what motivates the dedicated career professionals of this office and learn some tips for securing your dream job.
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Headway
Alumnus Dr. Kester Phillips '02, biology, struggled with and failed every first, second and more attempts of standardized tests he took during his academic journey. Yet today he is a neuro-oncologist.
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Risking Life for Life
One moment nursing student Ellie Conley '22 was kicking a ball around rugby practice and the next moment she is climbing into a car that crashed near the playing field to help save the life of a woman.
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A Crescendo of Music
As the song goes, it's been "a long and winding road" for USI's music programs, from the Mid-American Singers to performing in Carnegie Hall. Now USI is scoring a new song.
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State of the U
President Rochon confesses his fears, exposing his vulnerabilities. Read how this led him to a larger understanding.
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Student POV
Venezuelan marketing student Diego Socorro Neira '23 believes in building bridges. His role in improving the life of a family in West Virginia taught him some valuable lessons.
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From the Desk of...
As the Associate Director of the Multicultural Center, one of Dr. D'Angelo Taylor's roles is to mentor USI students, a desire instilled in him on his first job as a fast-food worker.
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Scoreboard
Double major -- accounting and economics -- Parker Collignon '22 learned some valuable lessons during his years playing tennis. Lessons that will payoff in the long run.
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Tailfeather
While Dr. Mikel Hand, Associate Professor of Nursing, has a passion for historic homes and the Thunderbolts ice-hockey team, it's his interest in oncology and leadership that makes him a winner.
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Dared to Do It
Until the mid 1960s, there was a statewide agreement among university presidents and many politicians in Indiana that no city would have a public, higher education institution where a private college existed.
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Educating the Educator
Harolyn Torain '71, USI's first alumna and African American to serve on USI's Board of Trustees, recalls her time as a student in the 60s, starting out in the Centennial building before the current campus opened, as freeing and fun.
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The Dog Ate My Homework
In terms of students' excuses as to why they have not turned in an assignment, faculty have heard it all. See if you every profered one of these classic excuses.
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Carving Careers
The University of Southern Indiana has shaped and redirected the lives of tens of thousands of people as they passed through our educational halls.
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State of the U
President Ronald Rochon contemplates cigarette smoke rings and legacy.
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Student POV
Ben Pfingston '21 was a bit of a rebel in his family. The bookish kind. The first in his family to earn a degree after setting some lofty goals.
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From the Desk of...
Lee Ann Shafer, Academic Programs Manager/Advisor, is in awe of her non-traditional sister.
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Tailfeather
Steve Bridges, Vice President for Finance and Administration, always knew education was his path in life and USI offered the perfect trifecta: accounting major, close to home, affordable.
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The Thin Blue Line
Most of us have a straightforward opinion on the subject of police body-worn cameras. But when two of USI's Criminal Justice faculty and a colleague from another institution researched the subject, they discovered it was not so cut and dry.
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Seeds of Change
Courtney Johnson '15 had big dreams for his life - New York, LA - where he imagined he'd end up. But a twist in the road lead him back home and he's never regretted it. Feet firmly rooted in his hometown, Johnson is making a difference in the lives of the communities underserved youth.
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Courtney's Courage
Softball player Courtney Schoolcraft '23 never expected a diagnosis of cancer at the age of 19. Like a fast ball, it took her by surprise. Courage, team support and a fierce drive to win delivered a homerun for her.
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A Call Leads to a Calling
Alum and recent USI retiree Larry Back '99 had no idea a call from his daughter-in-law would put him on a life-long mission to make like better for people struggling with mental health issues and their families.
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State of the U
For Dr. Rochon, community activists are the heros and sheros of our community, nation and globe. Read his poignant perspective on the subject.
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Tailfeather
Dr. Bohan Ye, Assistant Professor of Economics, has performed as a Chinese opera singer all over the world. Her theatrical skills allow her to read the audience so she can pace lectures to fit students' needs.
