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“ Today is great. Tomorrow shall be greater.” –President Scot Butler, in his farewell address to students, March 23, 1904
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CONTENTS BUTLER 2020 AND BEYOND
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BUTLER 2020
Our Vision Comes to Life
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CHANGING TIMES
Evolving to Meet Student Needs
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BEYOND 2020
Tradition + Innovation
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BUTLER BEYOND
Philanthropy Fuels Our Vision
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CLASS ACTS
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PHOTO of JIM
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Butler 2020 and Beyond As the namesake year for our strategic plan is just a few weeks away, and our vision for the future evolves beyond, I have found myself reflecting upon my early months as President and the many conversations I had with alumni, students, faculty, and staff as I learned about this great University. Not only did I meet many wonderful people, but the active engagement led to a collective and exciting vision that became known as Butler 2020.
With our planning complete and attention turned toward achieving our vision, I was surprised one day by the reaction of a student who approached me in Starbucks. “Our new plan sounds great,” she said wistfully. “But I will graduate long before 2020, and I won’t benefit from the improvements.” It never fails to amaze me—as a parent or as a president— that even in the midst of painstaking planning, meticulous research, and preparation for all manner of contingencies, a young-adult mind can hone in on a blindingly obvious insight that I had somehow managed to overlook. Besides prompting me to make a mental note to never name a strategy after a future year, this student’s remark motivated me to do a better job of conveying to our students that today’s investments in our University do two important things. First, they ensure that our campus is continuously—and proactively—evolving to meet the needs of every incoming class. Second, they elevate the value of a Butler degree for all alumni—past, present, and future.
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As you’ll read about in this special edition of Butler Magazine, we’ve gained unprecedented momentum through the successful implementation of Butler 2020. We have advanced Butler’s reputation for overall excellence, teaching, and innovation; enriched our academic, research, residential, performance, and athletic resources; and made a positive impact on global, regional, and local communities. Over the summer, the Lacy School of Business moved into its new 110,000-square-foot home. And earlier this month, we broke ground on a $100 million renovation and expansion for Butler’s new sciences complex. The benefits of these improvements are not limited to those who live in a new residence hall or take classes in a new building today, however. They are part of an overarching cycle. They strengthen our brand as a University with great academics and great people. This, in turn, attracts the most talented students, faculty, and staff to Butler. This ultimately increases the value of a Butler degree. And like the generations of Bulldogs who came before us—those who enacted Butler’s commitment to inclusivity, who established outstanding academic and athletic programs, and who built beautiful campus buildings and gardens—we have assumed the mantle of good stewardship. This means that just as the Butler we enjoy today was built upon the shoulders of those who preceded us, we have a responsibility to make Butler better for the generations that will come after us.
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As we look to these future generations, we will be guided by a new roadmap: Butler Beyond. Within these pages, you’ll learn more about the complex challenges within the higher education landscape that Butler Beyond will help us successfully navigate in the coming years, including changing student needs and demographic shifts. This new strategic vision includes the University’s commitments to make a Butler education more financially accessible to students and families; to offer students more efficient ways to learn and sharpen skills at all stages of life; to reach beyond our traditional-aged students and beyond our campus to pursue new markets, partners, and models of learning; and to complete the largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign in the University’s history. Thanks to alumni and friends like you, Butler is stronger than ever. We have built upon the hard work of past Bulldogs to benefit current students. We are deeply grateful for your support and we’re counting on you to be a part of our next bold leap forward. Thank you for joining us as we look beyond and dream big.
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Photo by Ben Hider
Each day Butler grows richer because, by the mere lapse of time alone, new ideas pass into hallowed traditions. — Kurt F. Panzer Member, Butler Board of Directors At the dedication of the Mrs. James Irving Holcomb Memorial Carillon Tower, October 4, 1959
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—Caitlin Sullivan Photography
Butler 2020 Our Vision Comes to Life
We imagined the future. And, with your help, we achieved it. It took six years of innovating and investing to bring Butler’s 2020 vision to life. Now, our University has never been stronger. We’ve made significant investments in our infrastructure, enhanced our best-in-class academics, added toptier faculty and staff, and expanded opportunities for experiential and global learning. Butler has consistently climbed in national rankings. More importantly, our graduates credit their Butler experience with helping them succeed in their careers and lives. We’re proud of our progress—but we can’t stop now. That’s not the Butler way. We’re seeking a better Butler—that’s Butler Beyond.
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Philanthropic
IMPACT
The Butler 2020 strategic plan was born of an ambition to emerge as a national university with best-in-class academics, a robust career pipeline, a thriving community, and state-of-the-art campus amenities to better serve our students. We were able to achieve all of this only because generous partners joined in the effort to create a better Butler through their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. These are just a few of the many gifts that transformed our campus and the lives of our students during the Butler 2020 era.
TRANSFORMING BUSINESS EDUCATION In April 2016, Butler announced a $25 million commitment from Indiana businessman Andre B. Lacy and his wife, Julia. In honor of the gift, the College of Business became the Andre B. Lacy School of Business. Inspired by the gift, 11 additional families, called the Founders Circle, stepped forward to give $1 million or more toward construction of a new building for the School. As of July 10, 2019, $21.7 million had been raised through philanthropic support for the effort.
EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTATHLETE EXPERIENCES A major renovation and restoration of Hinkle Fieldhouse was a key infrastructure project of the past decade at Butler, costing a total of $46.5 million over two phases. With help from the Efroymson family’s leadership contributions totaling $2 million, more than $32 million in philanthropic support has been raised to date for the effort, which has enhanced the student-athlete and fan experience at the beloved Indiana landmark.
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DRIVING FACULTY EXCELLENCE The Hershel B. ’52 and Ethel L. Whitney Chair in Biochemistry was established in 2016 through a $2 million gift from the estate of Hershel B. ’52 and Ethel L. Whitney. Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. R. Jeremy Johnson was selected as the first to hold the endowed position, which provides support for critical research he is conducting alongside undergraduate students into halting the spread of tuberculosis.
A LASTING LEGACY Bud ’44 and Jackie ’44 Sellick met and fell in love at Butler in the 1940s and were married for nearly 70 years. Though they had no children of their own, countless Butler students will be touched by the Sellicks’ legacy. Their $9.4 million estate gift was split between their three endowed scholarships, Athletics, and general University support, and their scholarships now benefit more than 35 Butler students each year.
TURNING STUDENTS INTO SCIENTISTS With support from transformational lead gifts in the form of a $13 million contribution from the Fairbanks Foundation and a $5 million commitment from Frank Levinson ’75, and as a testament to Butler’s commitment to preparing STEM talent for the region, the Board of Trustees approved a $100 million investment in upgrading the University’s sciences facilities. As of July 10, 2019, more than $27.5 million has been raised for the project.
REDEFINING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Butler created the MJ Student-Run Insurance Company, LTD with the help of a significant 2015 gift from MJ Insurance and its founder and Chairman, Michael M. Bill. The company became the first student-run captive in the world, and thanks to hands-on work experiences with the company, Butler students are graduating job-ready into an industry starving for new talent.
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Building a Talent Pipeline sciences complex takes shape
Work has now begun on Phases 1 and 2 of the expansion and renovation of Butler’s Sciences facilities. The $100 million investment includes new high-tech classrooms designed to promote learning by doing, labs that mimic the set-up at top research companies, and work spaces meant to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Science is an everchanging discipline, and now we will have the flexible facilities to lead the field into the future.” –Dr. Jay Howard Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The first two phases, which include the renovation of the Holcomb Building, the construction of a new atrium connecting Holcomb and Gallahue Hall, and the expansion of the Sciences facilities behind the Holcomb Building, have an expected timeline of 18 months. The facility will reflect the interdisciplinary nature of science, and eliminate labs designed for a single purpose. Classroom spaces will enable faculty to step away from the podium and move among students in a more hands-on approach to instruction. With new facilities come a plethora of new opportunities. New programs are being explored, such as Neuroscience and Data Science. Butler is already home to the country’s largest Undergraduate Research Conference, and now the cross-disciplinary lab spaces will inevitably lead to new research projects. To date, $27.5 million has been raised for the project. The goal is to raise $42 million of the $100 million total cost through philanthropic support. Thus far, major donations have come from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, Frank Levinson ’75, Craig Fenneman ’71 and Mary Stover-Fenneman, Lynne Zydowsky ’81, Josh Smiley, Katie and Len Betley, Lou and Laura Glazer, Jane and Robert Wildman, and Dick and Billie Lou Wood.
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We are honored to support the continued growth of the sciences program at Butler, which is a legacy grantee of our foundation and an institution that our founder, Richard M. Fairbanks, strongly supported.” –Claire Fiddian-Green, President and CEO, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation
100
%
of butler undergrad students take a laboratory science course
This is a significant and historic step forward as Butler continues to transform education for the needs of students and employers in the 21st century.”
96,000
–President James Danko
square feet of renovated and expanded space for the sciences
Scientific inquiry demands collaboration. Exciting work is happening at the intersection of multiple disciplines. The design of the new facility encourages this work by creating space that breaks down the traditional barriers between areas of study.”
63
%
–Provost Kate Morris of butler science graduates choose to stay in indiana after graduation
Visit butler.edu/butlerbeyond to make a gift and learn more about how you can get involved with Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University.
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Milestone Mom BUTLER 2020
Back-to-back appearances by the Bulldogs in the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship games created a pivotal opportunity for Butler. Thanks to visionary leadership and generous philanthropic partners, the University was able to seize upon this unprecedented moment. Now, just a few months shy of 2020, Butler looks to the future from a position of stability and strength.
March 2013 Trip (Butler Blue III) takes over official mascot duties from Blue II at a “passing of the collar” ceremony at a men’s basketball game in Hinkle Fieldhouse.
November 2011 James M. Danko is inaugurated as Butler’s 21st President. April 2010 & 2011 The Bulldogs make back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Men’s Final Four, advancing to the championship game in Indianapolis in 2010 and in Houston in 2011.
April 2013 The Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts opens, completing Butler’s performing arts complex. The 450-seat theatre is made possible by a generous gift from Howard Schrott ’76.
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March 2013 The Bulldogs join nine other schools sharing similar academic and athletic values in the reconfigured BIG EAST Conference. President Danko becomes Chair of the Conference Board of Directors in 2018.
December 2013 Lilly Endowment funds the Butler Advance initiative in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, giving students access to enhanced career prep in a joint effort to keep talented graduates in Indiana.
April 2013 Butler receives a $10M grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, Inc. as the lead gift in support of efforts to renovate and expand its science facilities.
ments October 2014 Renovations are unveiled after the Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse raises $17+ million, exceeding the $16 million goal. Enhancements include a video scoreboard, new chair-back seats, and more.
August 2017 With help from a generous gift from MJ Insurance, the MJ Student-Run Insurance Company, LTD opens for business as the world’s first student-run captive.
May 2017 Butler announces creation of the Old National Bank Center for Closely Held Business, thanks to a $5 million gift from the company. The Center provides training, education, mentoring, and networking for privately owned businesses in Indiana.
April 2017 The Social Justice and Diversity component is approved by the faculty senate as an addition to the core curriculum. The pilot phase begins in fall 2018.
March 2015 Butler launches a new, comprehensive brand for the University. The core of the brand promise is about preparing our graduates to work, succeed, and contribute to the community.
October 2015 Butler Athletics announces the addition of Women’s Lacrosse as the school’s 20th varsity sport. The team begins play in the 2016-2017 academic year under head coach Cecil Pilson.
April 2014 Butler announces a partnership with American Campus Communities to develop new campus housing facilities. Fairview House later opens in 2016 and Irvington House follows in 2018.
February 2016 Butler’s inaugural Day of Giving raises $75,867 from 710 gifts, which unlocks an additional $44,000 in challenge money. By 2019, Day of Giving had grown to 1,173 gifts totaling $311,183.
February 2016 Butler’s new five-story multi-purpose parking facility is completed at the corner of Sunset and Lake, adding 1,033 parking spaces to campus along with ground-level commercial and office space.
April 2016 In recognition of a $25 million commitment from Andre and Julia Lacy, the College of Business is renamed the Andre B. Lacy School of Business.
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August 2018 Butler is included for the first time in The Princeton Review’s annual list of “The Best 384 Colleges.” Only the top 15 percent of four-year colleges in the nation are included.
September 2018 For the first time, Butler moves into a tie for the No. 1 Midwest Regional University in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings.
September 2017 The Butler Bowl, home to Butler’s soccer and football teams, is renamed the Sellick Bowl in honor of a generous estate gift from Winstan “Bud” ’44 and Jackie ’44 Sellick.
June 2018 Butler Executive Education announces a strategic partnership with Kenzie Academy to offer a joint certificate program in a new model of education for Hoosiers pursuing tech careers.
June 2016 In partnership with venture studio High Alpha, Butler co-founds the company ClearScholar and launches The Butler App to provide a personalized mobile student experience in a first-of-its-kind digital platform. ClearScholar was acquired in June 2018.
June 2016 The Hershel B. Whitney Chair in Biochemistry is established through a gift from the Hershel B. and Ethel L. Whitney Fund, becoming the first endowed position established during the Butler 2020 era.
October 2017 Indianapolis Public Schools Board approves a second Butler Lab School location at Eliza Blaker School 55, which opens with the 2018-19 academic year.
November 2017 Butler announces new Anchor Housing partnership with Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) to provide financial assistance to employees purchasing or improving a home near campus.
December 2017 Butler completes purchase of 40 acres of property and buildings from Christian Theological Seminary (CTS). The College of Education moves to South Campus in the summer of 2018.
measures of excellence Along with notable moments in time, Butler’s acceleration toward 2020 can also be seen through steady progress on a number of measurable strategic objectives.
For the second time in three years, Butler welcomed its largest ever first-year class in 2018, due in part to a 163 percent increase in applicants since 2009.
The 2020 era included Butler’s best fundraising years on record, including FY16 which set the mark for the highest fundraising total in Butler history at $55.3 million.
Study abroad participation increased dramatically during Butler 2020, from 274 students in 2011–2012 to 712 students by 2018–2019.
Butler has met or exceeded a 3-4 percent operating margin in four of the six years since 2013–2014, indicating great strides forward in achieving long-term financial sustainability.
Bu 18 n m gradu ove Ne a St Ne
October 2018 Butler receives funding from AT&T to support Nextech’s Explorers camp and Catapult summer experience on Butler’s campus for K-12 students interested in exploring careers in technology.
September 2018 Butler welcomes 248 inaugural honorees into the Carillon Society, a new cumulative giving society. Eight families are added to Cornerstone Plaza for reaching the $1 million giving milestone.
utler has launched new majors, 11 new minors, and 2 postuate degree programs er the past six years. ew offerings include tatistics major and a euroscience minor.
April 2019 The Clowes Education Matinee series celebrates 1 million visitors since its debut in 1991. The series offers K-12 students the opportunity to see live theatre.
April 2019 The Center for Urban Ecology rebrands 15 years after founding to add Sustainability to its mission, becoming the Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability (CUES). May 2019 With the graduating class of 2019, Butler’s alumni community surpasses 50,000 people. Bulldogs live in all 50 states and more than 71 countries around the world.
June 2019 Butler Trustees approve a $100 million investment in the Sciences, including an expansion and renovation of facilities that will allow for cross-disciplinary collaborations and growth in curriculum.
June 2019 A 2012 Butler Business Consulting Group (BBCG) investment pays off with a nearly $800,000 profit from the sale of Synovia Solutions.
July 2019 New 110,000-square foot building for the Andre B. Lacy School of Business opens. The building was designed to foster collaboration with the local business community.
After introducing online courses in 2013, enrollment in Butler’s summer online/ hybrid program increased each year, as did the number of courses offered, adding approximately $5.7 million in revenue over five summers.
October 2019 Public launch of Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University takes place at Clowes Memorial Hall, unveiling the University’s new strategy and ambitious $250 million fundraising goal to achieve it.
Butler initiated new partnerships with Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) organizations Ascend, TechPoint, and BioCrossroads to support students’ internship and career opportunities across Central Indiana.
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Both Worlds
THE BEST OF
By Katie Grieze
by the numbers
40
%
of Butler students study abroad by graduation
in the nation for percentage of undergrad participation in study abroad (up from 17th just a year ago)
Now in its sixth year, the 10-day trip takes about 15 students to Florence, Italy, to learn all things food. Immersed in the culture of the Tuscany region, students experience the history behind the cuisine. They focus most on the food’s potential for promoting wellness, from organic farming in Pienza, to a centuriesold pharmacy in Santa Maria, to cooking classes in Florence.
Number of students studying abroad increased by
“We look at the health of the diet,” she says, “but we also look at the health of the culture.”
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Butler ranks
th
34 712 %
over the last year
Butler students studied abroad in the 2018–2019 academic year
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Before Jane Gervasio ’88, PharmD ’95 designed a study abroad course focusing on the Mediterranean diet, pharmacy students at Butler often struggled to fit travel experiences into their schedules. In such a structured curriculum, heading abroad usually meant getting set back. But Gervasio, a Pharmacy Practice Professor, created a program that both fit into and resonated with the coursework.
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custom trips with Butler faculty have created more programs that fit into fall, winter, and spring breaks. Over the last decade, the number of facultyled programs has exploded from four to 30. McKinney says Butler faculty tend to design creative courses that appeal to both students and parents—studying engineering in Ireland, Spanish in Spain, or the Mediterranean diet in Italy. Faculty-led programs take the best of oncampus teaching—think small class sizes and strong relationships—and transport it to a fresh, relevant location. Students can experience new cultures with the comforting bridge of familiar faces. Butler faculty also fill some of the gaps when it comes to how coursework abroad might connect to the community back home.
“The value of global education is woven into the fabric of Butler’s identity.”
During the 2018–2019 academic year, more Butler students traveled abroad than ever before. Jill McKinney, Director of Study Abroad, says that’s at least in part because more faculty are designing their own programs, providing students with a wider selection of opportunities.
About 40 percent of Butler students travel abroad by the time they graduate, making the University ninth in the nation for undergraduate participation. Many students still choose to take semester-long trips through third-party institutes (read about Grace Hart’s experiences on the facing page), but now
–Jill McKinney, Director, Study Abroad McKinney attributes much of the success of Butler’s study abroad programs to the University’s leaders, whose support of global education trickles down to faculty and students. Provost Kathryn Morris has created grants that provide faculty with seed money to complete the travel and research necessary to set up their own courses. Plus, the most recent strategic plans have been built on the fact that today’s students are graduating into a globalized world—a world that demands the ability to work and thrive across cultures.
Top
FROM THE
By Katie Grieze Grace Hart ’20 stared out at the white ice. She couldn’t see where it ended, but she noticed a blue tinge marking the Icelandic glacier’s age. It had lived a long life. According to the guide who’d just led Hart’s hike to the top of the slope, that would probably change within the next 200 years. Living in the Midwest, Hart had only ever heard news stories of the ice caps melting. Now, as part of her study abroad trip in spring 2019, she was seeing it happen live. During the semester-long program through the School for International Training (SIT), Hart traveled around Greenland and Iceland to study topics related to climate change: what’s happening, how it affects people, and what we can do to help. She’d first read about the trip as a first-year Environmental Studies major. She had always wanted to go to Iceland, and the topic was right in line with her interests. Calie Florek, Study Abroad Advisor at Butler, says SIT offers some of her favorite study abroad opportunities. Hart was the first Butler student to go to Iceland with SIT, but all of the school’s programs emphasize engaging with local communities. Through experiences such as internships, research projects, and home stays, SIT students really dive into a culture and learn about its people in ways not all study abroad programs offer. When Hart first came to see Florek, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. After a rigorous
OF A GLACIER
Photography by Grace Hart ’20
fall semester, she decided to apply to the Iceland program in hopes of shaking things up. The trip began in February, just missing the time of year when the sun never rises. The group started in Reykjavík, Iceland, studying climate modeling and glaciology before heading to Nuuk, Greenland. For two weeks, they learned about the country’s culture. Hart studied how climate research often excludes native people, and she loved learning the value of including diverse voices in those conversations. For most of the semester, Hart followed a set program, but the last five weeks were dedicated to independent study. Hart chose to focus on food security, asking how an issue so prominent in Indianapolis might play out in a different climate. Hart first learned about the subject through her classes and internships at Butler, where she spent a semester working on the campus farm. She found that food security in Iceland isn’t really an economic issue: It’s a land issue. People there have started demanding foods that just can’t grow in the frigid climate, forcing residents to import most of what they eat. Her research offered some solutions, focusing mainly on shifting tastes back to what the land can support. Hart believes her study could inspire change. She would like to return to Iceland and build a community outreach program, which she hopes would get Icelanders talking about their food in new ways, while giving her the chance to learn even more about the culture. FALL 2019
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By Dana Lee ’19
“This is a great age...and we must find physical expression for it.” — Irwin Library architect, Minoru Yamasaki, ca. 1960
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—Caitlin Sullivan Photography
Changing Times Evolving to Meet Student Needs
Higher education is in a time of complex change. Students desire more affordable and flexible learning opportunities. Employers require talent prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. Communities need solutions that address the growing inequity in access to higher education. Institutions face rising costs, falling family incomes, and dwindling applicant pools. Nationally, student debt tops $1.5 trillion. Critics question the value of a degree in the marketplace. This is no time for status quo. It’s a time for bold leadership and innovation. It’s a time for exploring new opportunities. It’s a time for fostering a culture that enables us to be agile and responsive. It’s a time for finding new ways to pursue our mission of enhancing lives through education—that’s Butler Beyond.
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James Danko
Brad Stevens
Adam Grant
A Conversation
Innovation and Leadership in Changing Times Three successful leaders who are well known to the Butler community recently gathered with Butler’s Vice President for Strategy and Innovation, Melissa Beckwith ’00, to discuss innovation, leadership, and staying nimble in a constantly changing world. They explored what it means to be innovative, how to foster a culture that fuels creativity, and why Butler is uniquely positioned to navigate the higher education challenges ahead. The questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length. James Danko, Butler University President, 2011–Present Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics Head Coach, 2013–Present (Butler Men’s Basketball Head Coach, 2007–2013) Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist, Wharton Professor, New York Times Bestselling Author, “WorkLife” Podcaster, and fan of The Butler Way (Butler Guest Speaker in 2017)
Q: We live in a time when many industries,
including higher education, and organizations are experiencing significant change. We often hear there is a need to innovate or transform in order to survive. What do the words innovation and transformation mean to you? Brad Stevens: Innovation and transformation mean that you are always a bit uncomfortable, in a good way. You recognize that if things aren’t going well there are changes that need to be made to get moving in the right direction, and if things are going well, the dip is right around the corner. You have to stay not only at pace with your competitors, but stay ahead in a lot of ways and be malleable, adjust on the fly, and have a foundation that you can lean on.
“Innovation and transformation mean that you are always a bit uncomfortable, in a good way.”
Adam Grant: Innovation is implementing ideas that are new and improved from the status quo. Transformation is making innovation routine, making it the norm, making it widespread, and preventing it from just happening in one pocket of your organization.
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James Danko: Innovation is a way to move beyond the complacency inherent in many organizations. In higher education—where tradition is so highly valued and respected—there’s an inclination to depend upon the way things have always been done. Innovation allows people to consider possibilities, beyond past and current practices, and adapt to a shifting landscape while positioning their school for future success. Transformation is the outcome of innovation.
Q: Innovation is easy to talk about
but can be difficult to achieve. How do you innovate?
Brad: I am more of a thief than an innovator. I try to keep up with best –Brad Stevens practices in the game around me. I work and study not only what is going on in the NBA and college game, but also internationally, and then try to fit those best practices to the strengths of the individuals on our team. There may be bits and pieces that I take from across the globe. To me that is not necessarily innovation as much as just studying and piecing a puzzle together, but I think that is the way I would view what I try to do. I don’t see it as rewriting a chapter or changing the narrative of things; it
is applying small tweaks to what I’ve seen as best practices and putting it to best use for my team. Adam: Brad is the most honest thief out there. Jim: When we think of innovation, we often think there is a “eureka” moment that occurs and a new idea results. But innovation is often underpinned by hard work—research, assessment, perhaps benchmarking against different types of entities. While some people may get concerned that they are not creative or innovative enough, from my experience, I don’t see creativity as necessarily inherent. I believe you can nurture and encourage innovation through focused effort and perseverance. Adam: My favorite way of capturing what it means to be creative is how Karl Weick describes it. Karl always said creativity is putting old things in new combinations, and new things in old combinations. In a way, that is what Brad just described. You go and borrow ideas from lots of different worlds, but it is all about the tailoring of those ideas. I think those re-combinations are fundamentally innovative acts. It is very much like being a chef. It takes ingenuity to use all the same ingredients that other people have access to, but maybe you apply them in a different way to create a different dish, and that sequencing, or repackaging, to me is what the innovation process might look like.
“Challenges present an opportunity to adapt and take the lead on new educational approaches.” –James Danko
Q: An innovation process is important but having
the right culture is crucial. What type of environment nurtures innovation?
Jim: The leadership team at Butler is very deliberate about fostering an environment that encourages innovation. From the Board of Trustees down, there is an atmosphere of openmindedness and creativity about the way Butler moves ahead. We recognize that changes to higher education are occurring rapidly and will continue to do so—from student demographics, to learning styles, to wellness needs. Across all areas of campus, we have to embrace innovation if we’re going to make Butler stronger for future generations. Brad: You are only going to be innovative if you are encouraged to be innovative. If you are working in a place that is stuck doing things the way things have always been done, it’s going to be hard to feel comfortable thinking outside of the box. It is important to be able to appropriately challenge the status quo on occasion, and say “How can we make this a lot better?”
Adam: I like to look at the exceptions. If you are not in an environment or culture that makes that easy, what can you do? There is a paper that I really love in my field on creative deviance, or looking at how sometimes people directly violate norms in order to get their ideas advanced. For example, the Pontiac Fiero was designed after a designer violated three separate orders from management to stop working on a prototype. Even The Godfather involved a filmmaker who basically violated every directive from Paramount Pictures about what the plot was supposed to be, who should be cast in it, what the budget should be, and where it should be filmed. So I think there is something to be learned from those examples. If you don’t create the psychological safety for people to take risks on new ideas, and if you don’t give them the freedom and resources to actually test them out and learn from them, you’re usually not going to get very far.
Q: Innovation requires change. Each of you have
played a role in leading teams through change. What are the keys to successfully doing so?
Adam: A lot of the keys to success are about avoiding the systematic mistakes that a lot of us have made. The first mistake that I see too many leaders make is that they fail to create a sense of urgency for change. That happens because when you are leading a transformation or when you have an innovative idea, it is abundantly clear to you why that makes sense, and it is hard for you to imagine somebody not getting it. You tend to forget that most people are excited about the status quo, or at least they are attached to the status quo, because it is familiar and comfortable. To be effective, you can’t just convey all the good things that will happen with change; you have to make clear all the bad things that will happen without change. Then the status quo becomes a bit destabilized and people are more open to trying something new and different. The other big mistake that drives me crazy is when people run in with solutions before they have really carefully diagnosed the problem. Brad: You are never as good as you think you are, you are never as bad as you think you are, and you are never far from either. At the end of the day, it is about knowing foundationally what works, the things that are critical to your team’s performance and to your organizational health, and prioritizing those things. The magic is in the work. Put your head down and work. Jim: It’s important to both make a case for change, which often requires presenting the harsh reality of a situation, while also presenting the opportunities inherent within a challenging situation. In the case of higher education, there are clear signs of a difficult future, whether it’s seeing universities close at an accelerated pace or the national student debt exceeding 1.5 trillion dollars—situations that should worry everyone. But those challenges also present an opportunity to adapt and take the lead on new educational
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approaches. I am confident that at Butler, if we’re innovative and open ourselves to new opportunities, we will continue to benefit our students well into the future.
Q: Adam mentioned the need to carefully diagnose the problem before developing ideas. President Danko shared the staggering amount of national student debt and the recent closure of several universities. In light of this, what is the problem higher education needs to solve?
Adam: Higher education is the most important force for learning and teaching in the world. No one gets better at anything without being a dedicated learner and also without having and being a great teacher. The first threat is that there are more vehicles for both teaching and learning that now exist outside of higher education that didn’t exist in the past. It’s easier to learn online now, it’s easier to take non-degree courses, and in many ways, it’s like we have gone back half a millennium and it’s easier to apprentice yourself in your craft and to learn things on YouTube.
Of course, the challenges extend beyond the approach to education. Over the past 20 years, the average net tuition, room, and fees at private universities have risen by 23 percent while median household incomes have grown by only 3 percent. Between 2017 and 2029, experts predict there will be an 11 percent decline in demand for a regional private education due, in part, to the significant contraction in the number of 18-year-olds in the United States. Universities must face the reality that there will be fewer students attending college, and even fewer still that can afford the traditional, residential undergraduate model.
Q: What makes you feel confident
Butler will successfully navigate the “I think so much challenges ahead? of the value added Brad: The same thing that has allowed Butler to navigate the challenges of the by a university past and continue to progress and move forward and keep adding, is the people— is getting people leadership, faculty, staff, and students. My 13 years at Butler were some of the most together...so influential years to help me learn, grow, and get better at what I ultimately wanted they can really to pursue. It was such an empowering environment. I feel very confident that if challenge each a challenge presents itself, the people at I think there is also a growing case to Butler will figure it out. be made that the kinds of jobs that other’s thinking.” previously needed a college degree are no longer going to require an advanced education. So I think it is possible that a small subset of schools will gain more of a monopoly on higher education, and all the other schools will be struggling to recruit students. The last threat is the feasibility of distance learning. I think so much of the value added by a university is getting people together so they can have experiential learning, they can have extended debate, they can really challenge each other’s thinking. As it gets easier and easier for people to learn from a distance, it gets harder to draw them into a campus, and that makes the unique value of an institution of higher education harder to convey and harder to deliver.
Jim: In the past, many of our students had to physically go to a library to find information. Now information that was well beyond the capacity of a library is immediately available to students on their phones. A key role of universities is to transfer knowledge. In our technologically advancing world, it’s imperative that we make the case for the Butler approach to education, and the value inherent when people gather in person and learn from faculty and one another. I expect that approach to continue to be core. But to be successful moving forward, we’ll need to be multidimensional in the way we transfer knowledge.
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Adam: It is hard to top that. But for my part, you have a couple of things going for you. You have a president who is an entrepreneur at heart and a doer. A lot of universities have great thinkers at the top who don’t get anything done. I also think that there is an advantage to your small size. You are a lot more nimble; it’s easier to make changes, as opposed to being stuck in a giant bureaucracy. Then there is the culture. When I think of The Butler Way, I think of the humility. There is a norm at Butler that gets set on the basketball court, but pervades the University. Everyone is excited to figure out what they don’t know and keep learning. I think that is kind of the wellspring of innovation. And then also, the generosity. Butler is a school of givers. You have a group of people who are drawn to the school because they are excited to try and figure out how they can help others and contribute to a meaningful mission. I have some data suggesting that when people are focused on solving problems, not just for themselves, but for others, they end up generating more innovative ideas because they do a lot more perspectivetaking, they think about what different kinds of solutions might look like for different kinds of people, and that is all good for generating ideas that turn out to be novel and useful.
–Adam Grant
by Sara Bahr
Driven to the Next Big Cure Levi Smith ’13 grew up in Camden, Indiana, a town just under 90 minutes north of Indianapolis with a population slightly over 600, according to the last census. In a place like Camden, a self-described “nerdy” middle school kid who was dumbstruck by “the wonder of Tylenol” could stand out. “I remember thinking how extraordinary it is that my back could hurt, and I could take Tylenol to fix it,” Smith says. “Or if my hand hurt, I could take Tylenol to feel better. It was that naiveté of ‘Wow, how does it know what to fix?’” That fascination with the utility and mechanics of drugs provided Smith with a clear—yet pretty ambitious— career path early on. Shannon Sterrett, a former classmate, remembers a day in eighth grade when Smith told everyone he planned to get a doctoral degree and do pharmaceutical research.
Photography by Harold Shapiro
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“We all laughed at him when he told us it was going to be 12 to 14 years of post-high school education,” she says. “But he did everything he said he was going to do, and I couldn’t be prouder.” The journey from Camden to where Levi Smith is today—a doctoral recipient in Cell Biology from Yale University and a senior research scientist at Halda Therapeutics—might have begun with bold, pre-teen dreams, but Butler University helped Smith turn those dreams into reality. As a first-generation student, Smith says Butler’s assistant director of financial aid, Jacque Mickel, was crucial to his success—even when he felt like a fish out of water. At every opportunity, he took advantage. By the time he graduated from Butler in 2013 in the top 10 percent of his class, he’d received six scholarships, including the A.J.W. LeBien Scholarship from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the Thomas Stein Scholarship for fourth-year Pharmacy students, and the Indiana 21st Century Scholars Scholarship. And then came even better news. “When we found out I got a stipend for grad school [at Butler], and I wasn’t going to have to take out any more loans, [Mickel] cried,” Smith says. “She really, really cared.” With his financial concerns eased, Smith decided to stay on campus and be a part of a small group of students piloting a new dual degree program that combined a doctorate in Pharmacy with a master’s degree in Pharmacology. For Smith, the additional research and work meant more stress and more late nights in the lab. But two years later, as he prepared to graduate with two more degrees, it was precisely this unique hybrid of clinical knowledge and scientific research skills that made him competitive for one of the top research programs in the country: Yale.
Smith has always been driven by his dogged determination to overcome challenges, and his time in New Haven was no different. As part of his doctorate in cell biology, he worked to find a drug to help those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. “It’s the only one of the top 10 deadliest diseases [in America] that can’t be prevented or cured or even slowed,” Smith says. Parsing the mysteries of Alzheimer’s and drug discovery in a lab at Yale, he helped to develop a drug that prevents two proteins from binding to each other, which would help treat memory impairments in mice. The same mutations cause Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Though years away from possibly seeing a place on a pharmacy shelf, if this drug could produce the same effect in humans, it might be a game changer. After six years of research, Smith defended his doctoral thesis at Yale in February 2019. He started as a senior research scientist at the startup biotech company Halda Therapeutics in Connecticut at the end of March. His Yale mentor founded the company, which Smith says is currently in the “very early stages” but has grown from six to 14 employees over the past four months. Smith can’t disclose exactly what he’s working on at the moment (“We’re kind of in stealth mode,” he says), but rest assured he loves it. “I always want to be involved in creating new medicines for diseases,” he says. “My thought is, ‘There’s no reason I don’t have a chance to be able to do something about this.’” Smith will tell you he’s lucky. But the truth? Where the rest of us might see questions and challenges, he only sees answers and opportunities.
Visit butler.edu/butlerbeyond to read more stories like this one, make a gift, and learn about 24
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how you can get involved with Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University.
Beyond 2020 Tradition + Innovation
The inspiration to pioneer new frontiers is embedded in our DNA. It’s who we are. It’s what’s led us here. And now, it’s what compels us to look beyond—combining the best of our past with courageous exploration of new opportunities. Realizing this vision requires us to continually enhance Butler’s historic strength—our traditional, residential undergraduate education. Now, we must expand beyond our traditional students to offer opportunities for lifelong learning, exploring new models for education that are more affordable and efficient. Our vision for Butler beyond 2020 blends the greatest strengths of our past with our boldest ideas for the future. Tradition + Innovation—that’s Butler Beyond.
—Caitlin Sullivan Photography
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Butler Beyond2020
Last spring, Butler University President James Danko shared a personal story with a group of alumni and friends about a visit to Rochester, New York, he had made on a bitterly cold day in January 1993. He had just begun his very first higher education job, which entailed arranging 60 action learning projects per year for MBA students at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
Two of the most successful companies in the world— Eastman Kodak and Xerox—were headquartered in Rochester (in 1993, Kodak was No. 19 on the Fortune 500 list, and Xerox No. 21). By the end of his visit, Danko had secured learning opportunities for students at both. While it was an exciting trip for that accomplishment, a much deeper impression was made on Danko by the preventable downfall of each company in the ensuing years. Each company clung too tightly to tradition and ignored revolutionary inventions by their own people. Kodak failed to embrace the invention of the digital camera by one of its young engineers in 1975—insisting that print photos were the future. Thirty-seven years later, Kodak filed for bankruptcy. Xerox, meanwhile, failed to embrace the potential of the personal computers developed by its own researchers in 1970. Nine years later, Steve Jobs struck a deal with Xerox to bring those innovators aboard his fledgling company— Apple. Today, Xerox is No. 318 on the Fortune 500 list, while Apple is No. 3. These served as powerful cautionary tales for Danko as he advanced in his own academic leadership career. He believes that saying yes to smart new ideas and embracing innovation—even though it may present some risk—is fundamental to organizational success. Complacency is dangerous. And consistently defaulting to “what’s always worked before” is a recipe for disaster.
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Continuing to study organizational leadership over the years, Danko has been equally inspired by stories of success. For instance, when National Geographic, long known for its iconic yellow-bound magazines featuring stunning color photographs, noticed a decline in subscriptions in the 1990s as cable television and the internet grew in popularity, the organization quickly reimagined itself for a new era. In 2001, it launched the National Geographic
channel and found new online platforms for sharing the time-honored art of nature photography with a new generation. Butler aims to forge a similar path—respecting the time-honored traditions and the particular strengths that have always defined a Butler education, while imagining new ways to deliver that education in a rapidly-changing landscape.
“We must continue to evolve our traditional academic approach while we proactively pursue new opportunities—even if they look radically different from what we do today. Those new ideas could become our traditions in 10 or 20 years.” –James Danko
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To help spur new ideas, Butler sought the guidance of experts, including Blair Sheppard, Dean Emeritus of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and current Global Strategy Lead with PwC, and Matthew Pellish, Managing Director of Strategic Research and Education for the Education Advisory Board. Both were blunt about how college has grown too expensive, takes too long to finish, and hasn’t kept pace with cuttingedge workplace needs. These hard realities have forced several schools nationwide to close their doors.
Butler is doing just that. The Butler Beyond strategic vision is comprised of multiple paths that, together, respect tradition yet embrace innovation. Butler aims to preserve and build upon the quality and strength of its long-time success in traditional, residential undergraduate programs, while innovating for the new realities of the world. At the core of each path is the question: What must Butler do to prepare the next generation of learners for what lies beyond today? The graphic below illustrates the paths of our strategic vision.
PATH 1— TRADITIONAL
PATH 2—LIFELONG LEARNING
Butler’s traditional, nationally ranked residential undergraduate approach to education is becoming out of reach for many families, especially those from America’s shrinking middle class. At the same time, students are increasingly interested in flexible curricular paths, online learning, and reassurance that their education will result in a promising career. Butler will respond by continuing to evolve and strengthen its traditional approach with a focus on exploring ways to be increasingly relevant and financially accessible for future generations.
The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong experience. Why then, should only those between the ages of 18 and 22 benefit from a Butler education? Butler will reach beyond the traditional student to pursue opportunities to serve lifelong learners. This includes growth in corporate education programs and partnerships, non-degree certificates and credentials, joint programming with secondary education, and communityfocused programming.
PATH 2
Tradition
INNOVATION
“There will be winners and losers,” Pellish says. “No one is going to win by saying, ‘We’ve always done it this way so let’s continue.’” Universities that survive will be inventive, flexible, responsive, and thoughtful, Pellish asserts, adding that Butler is all of those things. “Butler was founded on innovation,” he says. “Unleash these smart, dedicated, innovative people on these challenges, and they will find solutions.”
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Pursuing these paths will not be easy, but Butler is up for the challenge. The University is engaging the brightest in the field, learning from others in the midst of transformation, and seeking those “radically different” ideas from its own creative faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners—who will together move Butler beyond its current model. We have no plans to abandon Butler’s character or the things we do best,” Danko says. “But future expectations of academic institutions will be very different. We have to incorporate new approaches to education that add value—not only for our students, but for our society.”
Brandon Gaudin ’06
“Butler was founded on innovation. Unleash these smart, dedicated, innovative people on these challenges and they will find solutions.” –Matthew Pellish
PATH 3— FOUNDING MISSION Education is crucial to the development of strong and vibrant communities. Focusing on Butler’s proud founding mission that everyone, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status, deserves a high-quality education, the University will aim to address inequity in higher education by completely reimagining a Butler education. In collaboration with community organizations, corporations, and foundations, Butler will explore opportunities to co-create an alternative private higher education model that meets the learning and career needs of those who may otherwise be excluded.
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Collaboration DESIGNED FOR
By Katie Grieze
“I think if we ever do our students a disservice,” says Lacy School of Business (LSB) Dean Stephen Standifird, “it’s when we underestimate what they’re capable of.”
That value has built the foundation for LSB’s curriculum full of hands-on learning. The School’s focus on experiential opportunities sets it apart, and Standifird says faculty constantly adapt courses to add the complexity they know their students can handle.
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But education also needs to shift with the realities of an ever-changing business world. In designing the building that gives a new home to the School this fall, LSB leaders wanted to create a space that inspired more meaningful connections with the people who can speak to those changes. Standifird describes the building as “a living room for the business community.” LSB encourages Indianapolis professionals to visit and use the space, providing students more chances to immerse themselves in organic ways. Butler holds a unique spot in the city—right between Carmel and downtown Indianapolis—so Standifird says it’s a natural stop for business traffic. “Collaborative collisions” between students, faculty, and professionals in the building’s creative spaces will enhance LSB’s already-robust program of learning outside the classroom. By graduation, Butler business students have completed two internships, received regular oneon-one career mentoring from people in the field, and had the chance to join several student-run firms that deal with real clients. And, perhaps the most unique distinction of LSB’s program, every student has launched and operated a real business. During the Real Business Experience (RBE), a program most often taken during sophomore year, students work in teams to think up and prototype actual products or services. Throughout the semester, they learn about the different aspects of building a real business, from Jeff Durham meets with students. marketing, to accounting, to sales. Standifird says the program aims to help students understand the importance of each element, putting them in situations where they really feel the weight of running a business instead of just reading theories in a textbook. “It’s not something that you can find at other universities,” says RBE Coordinator Jeff Durham, “especially with as many parts and pieces as we have.” After students pay back loans from the University used to stock initial inventory, the course normally concludes with liquidating and closing the businesses. But Richie Berner, a 2019 Entrepreneurship & Innovation graduate, had a good feeling about his team’s Zotec-awardwinning project. He didn’t want it to end. After Berner pitched his business idea during the first week of his RBE class, his team went on to sell more than 600 knit, branded scarves. Berner saw lasting potential in the product, so he bought out his partners’ shares and has continued to own and operate North Pole Scarves ever since. He says the experience gave him the confidence and know-how to try launching his own restaurant, which is already in the works just a few months after graduation. Berner is still an outlier for continuing his RBE business after the class, but Standifird hopes the new building might help change that. The facility provides more workspace dedicated to RBE teams, housed at the northwest corner alongside a brand new showroom where students can display their products and services. Two doors down, a recent partnership gives the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center a home at Butler. For students interested in taking their RBE business further, the resource they need could be just down the hall.
Visit butler.edu/butlerbeyond to read more stories like this one, make a gift, and learn about how you can get involved with Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University.
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Make That ‘Dr.’ Physician Assistant, Please By Cindy Dashnaw
U.S. News & World Report ranks Butler University’s current master’s degree program for physician assistants (MPAS) as 37th in the nation, up 60 spots in just six years. Now, starting in January 2020, the University will add to this success and expand its PA offerings with the launch of an online post-professional PA doctorate program—one of only five in the nation. Butler’s new Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. DMS Director Dr. Jennifer Snyder ’97 knows better than most how much PAs need this opportunity, especially via the convenience of online access. Snyder graduated from Butler’s PA program and has worked in both family and emergency medicine. She said PAs have the full confidence of the patients they treat— but not necessarily of the practice managers and hiring professionals responsible for filling higher positions. “When we investigated offering this degree, we discovered through focus groups that PAs are missing out on promotions and leadership positions because decision-makers assume that those holding doctorates are more qualified,” Snyder says. Butler’s DMS program will give PAs the doctoral degree they need, along with business acumen to advance into leadership positions within their institutions or clinics. Additionally, it will give PAs an opportunity to critically evaluate medical literature and extend their medical knowledge to better serve their patients. The module-based curriculum allows students to enter into the program at any one of six starting points in the academic calendar. And the online structure of the program, with no required campus residency, means that students can take classes in a way that best suits their schedule.
Same Butler rigor, easier access Katie Beaudoin ’02, BSHS ’05
ONLINE ADVANCED DEGREE for PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS to LAUNCH JANUARY 2020
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Butler’s DMS program is a natural evolution of its MPAS degree, developed with the same rigor and quality. Both Snyder and Erin Vincent, Director of Academic Program Development, say living up to Butler’s reputation of educational excellence is paramount. Vincent points to the structure and success of Butler’s latest online degree program, Master of Science in Risk and Insurance (butler.edu/msri), launched last year. “Butler faculty is and has been brainstorming ways to creatively address the future of higher education across campus,” Vincent says. “We’re hoping to launch several more graduate programs very soon. The MSRI and the DMS are the start of a great, strong portfolio of advanced degrees at Butler University.” Individuals are eligible to apply for the DMS program if they have earned an entry-level PA degree from an accredited program and have either a license to practice medicine or hold a national certification from the NCCPA.
Of Funds and Food
By Megan Ward, MS ’13
No one wants to need it, but when crisis strikes, you’re grateful it’s there. Butler’s Emergency Assistance Fund has helped students through hardships so they can continue to be successful both at Butler and in life. Established about a year ago, the fund has had 39 applications with 16 of those being approved.
Butler senior Ashleigh Doub shares she was one of those students when she and her husband found themselves out of work. “The emergency fund acted as a stop-gap for my bills. I was able to study during that time because much of the external stress was manageable.” No stranger to food insecurity, Doub shares, “I was fighting food insecurity and working on improving food access in Indianapolis long before I needed the Emergency Assistance Fund.” Now Doub is continuing that work on campus by collaborating with others to bring a food pantry to Butler. Of her many on- and off-campus cheerleaders, Doub credits Butler’s Dr. Margaret Brabant and the Center for Community and Citizenship for the initial push and support to move forward with the project.
With any project comes hurdles. For the food pantry, Doub believes it is location and donations. Ultimately, she says, “Wherever it ends up, I hope it is centrally located and easily accessible. This will help encourage students to use it when they need it.”
And that’s the goal of the Emergency Assistance Fund—for students to use it when they need it. Even if applicants aren’t approved for the fund, their circumstances may make them eligible for Federal gift assistance. Wrap-around support for applicants also is provided by the University to help address immediate and long-term needs of the students. The Emergency Assistance Fund—just like the upcoming food pantry—is a valuable resource for Butler students. As Doub states, “Using the pantry should be no different than visiting the Writer’s Studio when you need help writing a paper. We are better students when we aren’t hungry. This resource should be used by anyone who needs it, and it should be viewed just like every other resource we have on campus.”
Visit butler.edu/butlerbeyond to read more stories like this one, make a gift, and learn about how you can get involved with Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University.
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“Be influenced strongly by the quiet beauty of the carefully reasoned.” — Neil A. Armstrong In his Commencement address to Butler’s Class of 1972
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Butler Beyond
Philanthropy Fuels Our Vision
Since our founding in 1855, Butler University has been shaped by a long history of innovative ideas, forwardthinking leaders, and visionary partners. Our progress has not happened accidentally. Philanthropy has always fueled our vision. Now, with the roadmap for our next era in hand, we invite you to join us in writing Butler’s next great chapter. This fall, we launched Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University with a goal to raise $250 million by May 2022— our largest multi-year philanthropic effort to date. It’s a bold goal in support of a bold plan. With your help, we will: ›› Empower students by doubling donor-funded scholarship support and expanding resources to ensure their success ›› Elevate learning by further investing in high-impact practices and faculty development ›› Engage communities through innovative partnerships and collaborative programming Your gifts will extend the impact of a Butler education beyond today’s students and beyond the borders of our campus—that’s Butler Beyond.
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Bold Visions Bold Partners
CAN’T BE REALIZED WITHOUT
In 1855, Ovid Butler donated 20 acres of his own land at the corner of College Avenue and 13th Street near downtown Indianapolis to establish a campus for the new university he sought to establish. Bold partners joined him in the effort, and a piece of land turned into an institution of higher learning open to all.
› Overall campaign goal:
$250M
› Progress toward goal:*
$166M
› Total estate commitments:*
$27.75M 27,532
› Campaign donors:*
› First-time donors:*
4,855
› Percentage of full-time Butler employees who gave in FY19:
59%
*Campaign counting began June 1, 2015. Statistics as of May 31, 2019.
More than 160 years later, that small school has grown into a thriving university because of generous visionaries who invested in the belief that everyone deserves access to an excellent education. From its very founding, Butler University has relied upon visionary philanthropists to help carry out its mission. Building on the foundation laid by Ovid Butler, these bold partners have paved the way for the Butler University we know today through generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure. Giving back has always been part of The Butler Way. Now, it’s our turn. Today’s bold vision for Butler’s future can’t be realized without a new group of bold partners. As co-chairs of Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University, we are proud to lead the effort in joining together with each of you to ask the important question, “How can I help to move Butler beyond?” We are convinced that investing in Butler today will have ripple effects beyond our imagination in the years to come. Whatever your passions, there is a place for you to get involved. We invite you to join us in the work of striving toward Butler’s bold vision for the future. How will you take part in moving Butler beyond? With gratitude,
Keith, MBA ’90 and Tina Burks
Visit www.butler.edu/butlerbeyond to learn more about Butler Beyond: The Campaign 36
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for Butler University and explore how you can get involved.
Pillars “These Butler Beyond campaign pillars represent areas for philanthropic investment that will fuel our vision for the
Community Partnerships
Innovations in Teaching and Learning
Student Access and Success
CAMPAIGN
future. These priorities were developed with input from donors, alumni, faculty, staff, and community partners who helped to identify the areas where Butler University is uniquely positioned to ignite positive change. Support for these strategic initiatives will propel our vision of transforming lives through education at Butler and beyond.” –Vice President for Advancement Jonathan D. Purvis KEITH, MBA ’90 AND TINA BURKS
CO-CHAIRS, BUTLER BEYOND: THE CAMPAIGN FOR BUTLER UNIVERSITY
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Student Access and Success By Jennifer Gunnels
At the heart of Butler Beyond is a desire to increase student access and success, putting a Butler education within reach of all who desire to pursue it. As we aim to solve the problem of affordability, we need bold partners to invest in Butler’s extensive financial aid program through student scholarships. And, as we welcome students of various ages, life stages, and backgrounds into our student body, we will need extensive student support services to ensure all students succeed in their pursuit of higher learning at Butler.
Invest in Student Access and Success to: ›P ut a Butler education within reach of high-achieving students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds through scholarship support ›E xpand experiential learning opportunities like undergraduate research, internships, study abroad programs, professional conference attendance, and more
› Enhance student support services, including mental health programming, mentoring programs, emergency funding for students in financial crisis, and more
“I came to Butler with a vision to change the world. With the incredible opportunities and skills I have gained at this University, I truly believe I am equipped with all I need to do just that. My Butler experience would not have been possible without generous scholarship support.” 38
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— Kayla Long ’19, Morton-Finney Scholar
“I came to Butler with a vision to change the world. With the incredible opportunities and skills I have gained at this University, I truly believe I am equipped with all I need to do just that. My Butler experience would not have been possible without generous scholarship support.” –Kayla Long ’19, Morton Finney Scholar
Make a difference through the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship
In 2018–2019, Butler provided more than $78 million in scholarships to our students. Of that total, only $3.2 million was funded by our endowment or other philanthropic support. Closing this nearly $75 million gap in annual scholarship costs is essential to achieving our vision of removing financial barriers for those who wish to pursue higher learning at Butler. Gifts to the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship ensure the longterm sustainability of our financial aid program and put Butler within reach of deserving students.
gifts in action Kile Family Endowed Scholarship
“We witnessed the incredible opportunities Butler afforded to our daughter and the doors that were opened through her experiences here. We were inspired to make those same opportunities available to other students.” — Nick ’87 and Kim ’89, MS ’98 Kile, donors of the Kile Family Endowed Scholarship established in 2019, pictured with daughter Erin ’19 FALL 2019
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Worth the Wait By Monica Holb ’09
For DeJuan Winters, taking a two-year break
between high school and college was not a dream deferred. Instead, it was a part of his dream realized. Since the death of his mother when he was just four years old, Winters has been wholeheartedly focused on two things: getting a good education and helping his family. Today, as he enters his sophomore year at Butler, he can say that he’s accomplished both. In 2016, Winters applied to Butler University—the top and only college choice for the Indianapolis native. To his delight, he was accepted and even offered multiple scholarships. But his plan was to work, get a taste of the real world, and support his family. Instead of joining the class of 2021, Winters joined the dairy department at a local grocery store. “It was a lot of hard work,” he says of that time period. Over time, the Butler bug returned, and Winters got the urge to refocus on his education. “I was fortunate to have the job that I did, but you need to move on and do more with your life if you’ve got the potential,” Winters says. “I was ready to take the next step.” In 2018, Winters applied to Butler University again, and again, he was accepted—but this time with the offer of the Butler Tuition Guarantee scholarship, an award that guarantees gift assistance of full tuition each academic year when combined with all federal, state, and University scholarships and grants. Winters was recognized for this scholarship because of his need, his academic ability, and ultimately, because of his selfless dedication to his family. The two years he spent working at the grocery may have seemed like a diversion, but they ended up being a critical piece of Winters’ path to success. Today, he is in his second year on campus, double-majoring in math and physics. On receiving the Tuition Guarantee scholarship, Winters says “I am appreciative of alumni and donors who want to pay it forward to us, and then we can carry that on to future generations.” While Winters credits his scholarship for allowing him to attend Butler, he credits his mother for his ultimate success. “I felt like I could make her proud by coming to Butler. She knew that I would be able to bring something to the family. She called me her ‘little man,’ and now it is time to be my own man to set my goals and reach those goals.”
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Doggone Great Surprise By Monica Holb ’09
Sophomore Allan Schneider recalls fondly the day
that Butler Blue III—“Trip”—made a surprise appearance in his Bishop Chatard classroom. “All of a sudden something was not right. My teacher, who is a Butler alumna, screamed and then Trip walked in,” Schneider says. The group from Butler, including Trip, visited Schneider to surprise him with the news that he not only got into Butler, but received the Butler Tuition Guarantee scholarship. Growing up in Indianapolis, Schneider was quite familiar with Butler University. As a cross-country runner, he was often on the campus course. There, he looked up to the older Butler students who were also runners. Every time Schneider’s high school team was on campus, the older runners welcomed them, helping them out and cheering them on. They inspired Schneider, and Butler became his top college choice. “It made me realize how happy they were at their university and that, when I attended college, I wanted to have that same experience,” Schneider says. Yet while he was confident Butler was where he wanted to be, the campus that he knew so well and that was so close to home seemed out of reach financially. Schneider, determined to get to Butler, worked hard and applied for multiple scholarships. “Butler became my college obsession, and I felt like I had to do whatever I could to get there,” Schneider says. Because of the highly competitive group of applicants, Schneider fell short of receiving scholarships that would have paved the way to Butler. Disappointed but not discouraged, he continued applying and, with his mother’s urging, completed the application, essay, and interviewed for the Butler Tuition Guarantee scholarship. Enter Trip and the team from Butler. “It was one of the greatest days of my life, finding out that I got the scholarship and got to go to Butler,” Schneider says. “Butler would not have been on the table if I had not received the scholarship. I could not have come to Butler to reach my potential.” Schneider is quickly fulfilling that potential. The Psychology and Neuroscience major joined a psychology lab to learn what it would be like to be a psychologist, and last spring attended and presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Schneider describes his experience so far as “absolutely enthralling.” A large part of that experience is the people, according to Schneider. “I realize why I came to Butler—the people and community are so wonderful and welcoming. The faculty and staff are some of the kindest and most compassionate people I’ve met. They are making sure that all students are successful.” That initial warm welcome from the older runners, as well as from Trip, was no false advertising. FALL 2019
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Innovations in Teaching and Learning By Jennifer Gunnels
One of the distinguishing features of a Butler education has always been the meaningful and enduring relationships between our faculty and students. Across each of our six colleges, Butler faculty share an abiding devotion to helping their students learn and thrive during their time at Butler and beyond. But recruiting, developing, and retaining the nation’s best educators and scholars requires an investment. State-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research are a strategic imperative for recruiting top talent. As our student body evolves, we need bold partners to invest in the ongoing excellence of our faculty and their innovative ideas for teaching and learning.
Invest in Innovations in Teaching and Learning to: ›R ecruit the nation’s top talent in every discipline to teach at Butler through endowed positions and faculty opportunity funds
› Support innovative interdisciplinary programs and new curriculum development
›P rovide state-of-the-art equipment, technology, and facilities for our students and faculty
› Ensure undergraduate students have access to original research experiences alongside Butler faculty
“The work our faculty do with students on a daily basis—teaching, mentoring, and student-faculty collaborative research—makes up the very foundation of a Butler education. One of the most effective ways to support Butler students is to invest in the ongoing rovost Kate Morris development of our faculty.” — P 42
BUTLER MAGAZINE
Make a difference through Faculty Opportunity Funds
Faculty Opportunity Funds help Butler to attract, develop, and retain the nation’s best educators and scholars by demonstrating a commitment to their growth. Ongoing training and development is critical to ensuring our faculty remain on the cutting edge of advances in their disciplines and involved in the critical work of creating new knowledge through original research. Faculty Opportunity Funds enable Butler faculty to take advantage of opportunities for growth and training, resulting in a direct benefit to the students they teach.
gifts in action Drs. Edward B. and Victoria F. Roche Endowed Professional Development Faculty Fund
“As faculty members in departments of pharmaceutical science, we know how important it is to have funds that support faculty development. There is a multiplying effect in investing in excellent faculty that extends to the development of students and graduates.” — Drs. Ted ’61, MS ’63 and Victoria Roche ’61, donors of the Roche Endowed Professional Development Faculty Fund, established in 2019.
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Using Science By Rachel Stern
to Save the Arts
Michael Samide doesn’t have a background in art. Well, if you want to get technical—and the Butler University Professor of Chemistry likes to get technical—there was that one art history class. A British guy taught the class. It was after lunch, the room was dark, a slide projector was involved, and a fan would go on. Then, like clockwork, Samide would take a nap. He ended up working in chemistry, which he figured meant he could steer clear of those sleepy afternoons. But after about 12 years of conducting one type of research at Butler, a visit from the new Senior Conservation Scientist at the Conservation Science Lab of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields piqued Samide’s interest. Greg Smith had come to talk to Butler Chemistry faculty and students and explained that Newfields’ lab combines art history, science, analytical techniques, and research. Samide was intrigued.
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“I realized how lucky we were at Butler to have this lab 400 yards away,” Samide says. “My mind was blown after the presentation. I realized this unique, exciting realm takes all the techniques I have learned and applies them to solve real-world problems. It was time to learn something new.” What has followed has been a seven-year partnership between the Conservation Science Lab at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields and Butler’s Chemistry Department. From student internships, to research collaborations, to published papers, to lectures across the globe, the partnership has flourished since Smith walked into the chemistry classroom back in 2012. Dr. Michael Samide
The museum’s Conservation Science Lab started in 2012 and uses scientific tools to study the materials of art. The lab works in tandem with the conservation staff to make sure the materials and methods that are being used are effective as well as safe for the artwork. The team also collaborates with the curatorial department to analyze the different materials comprising a work of art. “Locked up in the chemistry of objects are often the answers to who made this, how old is it, has it changed appearance, is it even real or is it fake,” Smith says. Partially funded by a $2.6 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, the facility operates out of a spacious, 3,000-square-foot analytical and research lab on the first floor of Newfields. As one of only about 10 museum conservation labs like this in the country, the work performed at Newfields can have a significant impact beyond the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Smith, the museum’s sole full-time lab employee, relies on interns and partnerships to assist in his efforts. The Butler team was a natural fit, he says. They immediately added their chemistry expertise, working on research projects with faculty and students on varied topics such as pollutants, curricular development, and dye synthesis. Samide and Smith have focused a great deal of their research on how materials used in museums impact art. There is a plastic that museums use for gallery casings that, after a great deal of research, they found was tarnishing silver. To date, they have published two papers, and are working on a third on the potentially harmful effects. The partnership provides numerous benefits to the museum, but it also provides important experiential learning opportunities for Butler students. Heidi Kastenholz ’19 started at Butler as a Chemistry major certain she wanted to be an optometrist. She heard about the Chemistry of Art course that had a short study abroad component, so she signed up. The course focused on how pigments are made chemically. When she returned from traveling, Kastenholz did a Butler Summer Institute research project on one specific pigment. After she graduated, she was offered an internship with the Library of Congress in their conservation science department, and her goal now is to become a conservation scientist in a museum lab. “I learned how applicable science was,” she says. “I never thought about science and art as things that were related.” That is exactly what drew Samide to this area of chemistry, despite his shaky memories of art history class. His research used to have very little application. Now, it has a real impact on what is placed into gallery spaces, what materials should be used inside a museum, and how museums think about preserving historic pieces of art. “You would be surprised how every area of chemistry has something to do with art,” Samide says. “The best artists are using science and the best scientists are very artistic people. It is about the coming together of the two disciplines, rather than telling people they are two separate things.”
Photos courtesy of The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
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Community Partnerships By Jennifer Gunnels
Butler has an important role to play in the wellbeing
of our community. Looking beyond the borders of our campus, we will increase engagement with businesses, community organizations, educational providers, and government entities to seek mutually beneficial opportunities for our students and our city. We need bold partners to join us in developing new academic programs, experiences, and models that serve Butler’s current and future learners. Through collaboration and strong partnerships, we will unleash the potential of our brilliant faculty and students on the complex issues facing our community.
Invest in Community Partnerships to: › I ncrease experiential learning opportunities for students through partner sites and projects
› Respond to the educational needs of our communities and corporations through the co-creation of new education and talent solutions
›E nhance the quality of life in Central Indiana by providing arts, athletic, and educational opportunities for learners of all ages
› Nurture new ventures that support Butler’s long-term sustainability and create a positive impact in the community
“Great universities have great responsibility to positively impact the communities in which they reside. Butler is committed to developing talent that meets the workforce needs, offering programs and experiences that contribute to the city’s culture, and encouraging creativity in solving some of our community’s most pressing challenges.” — M elissa Beckwith ’00, Vice President for
Strategy and Innovation
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Make a difference through The Transformation Fund
The Butler Beyond strategy charts a path forward that includes the evolution of Butler’s traditional commitment to undergraduate education while simultaneously exploring the creation of new educational models that serve the needs of non-traditional learners and the community. To enable this exploration, Butler must operate in a more nimble and entrepreneurial environment. The Transformation Fund will fuel development of new educational models, support transformational projects that contribute to the longterm vision of the University, and provide means to invest in new ventures supporting Butler’s desire to think differently about the future of higher education.
gifts in action PNC Foundation’s Grow Up Great Grant “Through PNC Grow Up Great, our signature cause in early childhood education, we contribute to the future of Central Indiana and help close learning readiness gaps faced by many children as they enter kindergarten. Our support provides area preschoolers and their families the resources to better prepare for success in school and life, and we are proud to partner with Butler in this effort.” — Connie Bond Stuart, Central and Southern Indiana Regional President for PNC Bank, on PNC Foundation’s multi-year commitment to the Butler Lab School Preschool Program
Old National Bank Center for Closely Held Business “As the largest bank headquartered in the Hoosier state, Old National is deeply aware that closely held businesses are the engine of our economy and the lifeblood of our communities. That’s why we are so honored to partner with Butler University to ensure that Hoosier businesses continue to get the training, education, and mentoring they need to grow and thrive.” — Old National Bank CEO Jim Ryan on the company’s $5 million investment in Butler’s Old National Bank Center for Closely Held Business
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Playing
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for the Community By Dana Lee ’19
The guitars are propped fretboard down, resting on the lap of each student. In a Lilly Hall classroom, about 20 kids ages 7–11 sit in chairs arranged in a circle, their feet barely touching the ground. One boy swings his legs to keep time as students around him slap the wooden backs of their guitars, the resulting sound imitating the drum beat in Wipeout. It’s one of their favorite songs—an upbeat, rolling, can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head, surftown anthem from the ’60s. It’s also one of the songs the Butler Community Arts School (BCAS) summer guitar camp will play in a mini recital. At the beginning of the week, many of them had little to no experience playing guitar. “Remember concert etiquette,” says Brett Terrell, a Butler adjunct who serves as the guitar camp’s artistic director. Along with Terrell, four Butler students provide instruction. “Take a bow,” Terrell says. He holds his guitar in an outstretched arm and the room follows his lead, folding at the waist. “One… two… three… and we’re up.” An initiative of the Jordan College of the Arts, BCAS was founded to provide accessible arts instruction in the form of private lessons, group classes, and summer camps. Many are taught by Butler students serving as teaching fellows. Offered throughout the year, programs range from Intro to Stage Makeup to an adult Big-Band workshop. “A community school by definition is to serve the general community population and to provide offerings that are accessible to everybody,” says Karen Thickstun, MM ’91, Director of BCAS. “That fits with Butler’s mission, too—to make the arts accessible and to provide community experience for students so they gain a more diverse teaching perspective.” BCAS partners with about a dozen community sites that include Indianapolis Public Schools, charter schools, and United Way agencies like the Martin Luther King Center to provide classes off-campus. Altogether, programs reach as many as 2,000 participants yearly. More than half of the participants pay a reduced scholarship rate. Beyond the financial aspect, the school’s mission to make the arts accessible extends to providing piano lessons for children with autism. Inside Lilly Hall, guitar camp has been dismissed and the room is nearly empty. Near the front, teaching fellow Austin Sandoval ’19 pulls up a chair to face 9-year-old Alyssa Weems. It was Sandoval who first approached Thickstun two years ago and asked why BCAS didn’t offer summer guitar camp for beginners. Her response: “Well, why don’t we create one?” After graduating this past May, Sandoval stayed at Butler and is pursuing a master’s degree in guitar. “Being able to teach as an undergraduate student has prepared me so well for what the real world is going to be,” Sandoval says. Sandoval gestures at one of Weems’s wayward fingers. “Take this one off,” Sandoval says, and Weems adjusts accordingly. “Now, press down a little harder.” He plays the first line of Wipeout and Weems mirrors the movements of his fingers on her own guitar. Her mom, Alicia, watches nearby. Alyssa and her brother have taken piano lessons through BCAS at the International School of Indiana for the past two years, and when Alyssa’s older brother started to learn guitar, she wanted to play too. “I was amazed,” Alicia says. “After the first day she came home and played Jingle Bells.” Sandoval and Weems play through the melody of Wipeout once more. By the second time around, Weems hardly needs to look at Sandoval for cues. She finishes the rest of the song on her own.
“Indianapolis and Butler go hand in hand. It’s almost hard to distinguish one from the other.” — Chris Gahl ’00 Butler Trustee and Senior Vice President of Visit Indy
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CLASS ACTS
December 2, 2018 through June 1, 2019.
THE ’50s
THE ’90s Tina-Marie (Armstrong) Adams ’91 was promoted to North America Head of Growth Initiatives at communications consultancy APCO Worldwide.
Myra (Wanel) Britton ’58 recently announced her retirement after 20 years with Arlington County, VA, Public Schools.
Scott Kerin ’91 was recently awarded with the Major Campaign and Strategic Planning Award presented by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
THE ’70s
Sean Kane ’92 had an original painting featuring Hall of Fame pitcher “Dizzy” Dean on a hand-painted, vintage baseball glove voted into a part of the permanent collection at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY.
Alfred Savia ’75, MM ’76 was recently recognized with Leadership Evansville’s Lifetime Award for service to the Evansville Community. E. Claire Jerry ’79 was recently named Lead Curator of Political History, Division of Political and Military History, for the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
THE ’80s Kevin Wachtel ’82 was named Chief Strategy Officer for Indiana Wesleyan University—National & Global. William Carter ’84 joined WebSpeak Media in Greer, SC, as a storyteller and brand strategist.
Janet Harris ’84 was appointed to the VetFran Committee for the International Franchise Association.
Sandra James ’85 has been recognized by OneAmerica® as an ASPIRE honoree as a result of her outstanding performance on behalf of the life insurance, retirement, and employee benefits organization. Pam (Ferris) Rhoades ’89 was recently named Director of Marketing and Communication at Knoxville Catholic High School.
Scott Drew ’93 was named the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ 2019 recipient of the John Lotz “Barnabas” Award. Jodi (Boyd) Lemaster ’94 wrote a feature article for the March 2019 NSTA’s Science and Children magazine titled, “Pushes, Pulls, and Playgrounds,” which highlighted lessons on learning forces and motion through nonfiction texts and exploration on the playground. Renee Nicholson ’94 was co-editor of the anthology Bodies of Truth: Personal Narratives of Illness, Disability, and Medicine, released in 2019 by University of Nebraska Press and featured in the March issue of Poets & Writers. Michael Michelakis ’95 recently began overseeing the Health & Wellness Programs for the Physical Education classes at DePaul Academy Woodford Home in South Bend, IN. Eva Boldridge ’96 was recently appointed to represent Region 4 (Rockies/Plains) on the ACP Board of Directors. Linda (Rhone) Caples ’97 received a Doctorate in Urban Education with a specialization in Adult, Continuing & Higher Education Leadership from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee on May 19, 2019. Bonny (Sullivan) Rouleau ’99 was promoted to Director, Global Case Management Operations with Eli Lilly and Company Corporate Center. Allison (Hoeltzel) Savini ’99 recently had her brand, Officina del Poggio, selected as “Ones to Watch” at the 2019 Milan Fashion Week by Women’s Wear Daily.
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THE ’00s Mark Berninger ’00 was promoted to Natural Resource Manager for the City of San Diego, Open Space Division. John Dunn ’00 was named Director of Communications for the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. Chris Kuhn ’00, MS ’08 graduated with his PhD from Indiana State University in Educational Leadership.
Sean Conway ’05 was recently named partner by RMB Capital, a Chicago-based independent investment advisory firm. Jasmine Gonzalvo ’05 was recognized in Indiana Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list for 2019. Lisa Pryor ’05 was named the Orchard School’s new Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Indianapolis, IN.
Julie (VonderHeide) Hammerle ’01 recently appeared on the USA Today best-sellers list with her romantic comedy, Knocked-Up Cinderella.
Keith Huff MS ’01, PharmD ’07 competed at the Regional Louisville Short Track Mountain Bike Race in June 2019, placing first in his category.
Gregg Braun ’02 was recently named Director of Athletics and Head Baseball Coach at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, IL.
Brett Slama ’02 was appointed CEO of DeMulling and Slama Insurance, a Sawyer & Smith Agency in Indianapolis, IN. Amy Brown ’04 and her husband, Nathan, were awarded the Sales Excellence Award at their firm for Highest Team Volume closed in 2018. After four years at their former firm, Amy and Nathan have been hired by Keller Williams to continue their real estate careers.
Angel Mason ’04 has been named the next Director of Athletics at Berry College following a national search.
Meagan (White) Rater ’04 was recognized in Indiana Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list for 2020.
Amanda Sewell ’04 was recently named Music Director at Interlochen Public Radio located in Interlochen, MI.
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Joey Wohlhieter, III ’05 was promoted to Employer Assistant for Career and Professional Success at Butler University.
Aaron Wright ’05 joined the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board as Manager, Accountant—Division of Enforcement & Investigations. Elizabeth Beckman ’07 was recently awarded the Society of Critical Care Medicine Presidential Citation for extraordinary contributions of time, energy, and resources to the Society. Jennifer Nuest ’07 was recently named Transportation Marketing Coordinator for HUB International Transportation Insurance Services, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN. Beth Fontanarosa ’08, MS ’11 was recently promoted to the Director of University Marketing Communications at DePaul University. Lade Akande ’09 was named one of the nine recipients of the 2019 Counselors That Change Lives Awards, given by Colleges That Change Lives, a non-profit organization dedicated to the ideal of a student-centered college search.
THE ’10s Stephanie (Tutterow) Cook ’11 was recently promoted to Associate Brand Manager, US Oncology at Eli Lilly and Company. Lindsay Higginbotham ’14 received a Masters of Professional Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in addictions from Lewis & Clark College Graduate School of Education and Counseling on June 2, 2019. Hayley Brown ’18 joined the Drink Culture Podcast in January 2018 as a co-host. The podcast has been recognized as one of Indy’s best podcasts by the Indianapolis Star, was the first local podcast to have live recordings at the Hi-Fi, and has featured guests such as Martha Hoover, Gerry Dick, Michael Huber, and Chris Baggot.
WEDDINGS Amy (Ruhig) Kussman ’04 and Kip Kussman married on November 11, 2018
Katherine (Bunten) Pola ’11 and Daniel Pola married on April 27, 2019
Jeffrey Petty ’15 and Peyton (Coney) Petty ’15 married on December 1, 2018.
Laura (Michel) Cooper ’08 and Nathan Cooper married December 9, 2017
Mary Kate (Kronzer) Smith ’14 and Lance Smith ’15 married on November 10, 2018.
Garrett Oberst ’16 and Shelby (Miller) Oberst ’17 married on July 14, 2018.
Amanda (Gehring) Hoefnagel ’12 and Jake Hoefnagel married April 6, 2019 Jenny (Arnett) Davis ’10 and Kyle Davis married on June 30, 2018
Matt Miller ’14 and Tai (Vogel) Miller ’14 married in October 2018.
Kelsey (Berggren) Cairns ’15, MPAS ’18 and Alex Cairns married on November 3, 2018. Katherine (Bolinger) Ray ’13 and Ian Ray ’16 married on October 13, 2018.
NEW ARRIVALS (1) Chelsea L. Beaman ’06; Logan Matthias Beaman on March 29, 2019
(5) Kristen (Steele) Farthing ’10, MPAS ’11 and Benjamin Farthing; Maxton Marcus Charles Farthing on November 4, 2018
(2) Sarah (Reed) Brooks ’06 and Oliver Brooks ’06; Ruby Elizabeth Brooks on February 25, 2019
Samantha (Butler) Franklin ’10 and Tony Franklin ’13; Lilly Anne Franklin on January 22, 2019
(3) Andrea (Dell) Centi ’08 and Chris Centi; Xavier and Zachary Centi on November 24, 2018
(6) Jennifer (Macke) Johnson ’12 and Luke Johnson ’09; Julia Vivian Johnson on February 22, 2019
(4) Tara (Roberds) Cherry ’10 and Kyle Cherry ’16; Emma Rose Cherry on November 10, 2018
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Bulldogs Connect (powered by Wisr) is Butler’s new digital networking and mentoring platform created to form meaningful connections with the Butler community. Users have volunteered to review resumes, conduct mock interviews, help with job and internship searches, and much more. It’s an easy way to make connections with Bulldogs working in an industry or city of interest to you and helps introduce students to their Butler network as they begin their careers. Join Bulldogs Connect today: https://butler.wisr.io/login/
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IN MEMORIAM Mary Jane Laatz ’38
Helen (Black) Rudesill ’49
William Shimer ’52
Constance (Foote) Smithwood ’56
Paul Billhymer ’40
Kenneth Tirmenstein ’49
Paul Stafford ’52
Judy (Woolgar) Wilson ’56
Jane (Robinson) Merrill ’40
Paul Weakley ’49
Harold Stickle ’52
Orris Doty ’57
Sally (Hunt) Wright ’40
Jack Anderson ’50
Betty (Anthony) Vincent ’52
Mary (Conine) Fayerweather ’57
Marjorie (Glass) Conly ’41
Richard Barr ’50
Susan (Schloot) Benjamin ’53
Elizabeth (Fleming) Miner ’57
Carol (Sherman) Ryerson ’41
Sherry (McDowell) King ’50
Marvin Bercovitz ’53
Anne (Calvert) Schuster ’41
Robert Mount ’50
Robert Cohee ’53
Carol (Wood) Montgomery ’57, MS ’60
Robert Holdeman ’42
Robert Petzel ’50, MS ’60
Robert Cook ’53
Irma (Wilson) Hunter ’42
Donald Roberts ’50
Nancy (Hastings) Engledow ’53
Barbara (Kelly) Blare ’43
Max Shanklin ’50
Barbara (Davis) Erickson ’53
Floyd Davis ’43
George Steel ’50
Lillian (Bander) Hehr ’53
Elizabeth (Meyer) Gunn ’43
Robert Warner ’50
John Holmes ’53
Chet Robinson ’43
Velma (Davis) Wortman ’50, MS ’60
Merritt Jaggar ’53
Francis Salb ’43 Betty Jane (Grayson) Scofield ’43 Walter Dreyfus ’44 Judith (Redwine) Woods ’44 Joan (Kriese) Beaumont ’45 Robert Benjamin ’45 Myrene (Liverett) Steele ’45 Gretchen (Edwards) Strauss ’45 Jeannette (Walker) Bradford ’46 Mary (Donnell) Mitchell ’46 Helen (Farrow) Risley ’46 Phyllis (Carter) Stucker ’46 Virginia (Coxen) Compton ’47 Marian (Stone) Crimans ’47 Marjorie (Yelvington) Early ’47 June (Goodrich) Ellis ’47 Elizabeth (Hearne) Ezell ’47 Dorotha (Beck) Ledman ’47 Carrel Mayfield ’47 Jo (Everson) Miller ’47 Paul Robey ’47 Barbara (Patterson) Smith ’47 Irma (Piel) Stickle ’47 Kenneth Bayless ’48, MS ’62 Barbara (Bailey) Dennison ’48 Margaret (Shacklock) Robbins ’48 Helen (Fox) Sizemore ’48 Joseph Workman ’48 Joanna (Jennings) Bemis ’49 Kenneth Black ’49 Suzanne (Ramey) Carr ’49 William Lange ’49 Robert Mehl ’49
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December 1, 2018–May 1, 2019
BUTLER MAGAZINE
Constance Zeller ’50 Mary (Browder) Brink ’51 Barbara (Jungclaus) Campbell ’51 Robert Clapp ’51, MS ’58 Barbara (Churchman) Doherty ’51 William Gardner ’51 Rosemary Green-Turhune ’51 George Kendall ’51 Mary Alice Kennedy Burget ’51 Francis Kish ’51 Robert Madden ’51 Warren McCormick ’51 Dean McKean ’51, MS ’69 Bruce Miller ’51, MA ’56 Janice (Belcher) Rhoads ’51 Robert Runyan ’51 Charles Stoner ’51 Floyd Tague ’51 Lois (Pritchard) Tilford ’51 Ethel Trice-Sanders ’51 Barbara (Kidd) Vandivier ’51, MS ’67 Loren Woerner ’51 Richard Brown ’52 Orvis Burdsall ’52 Robert Dalmbert ’52 Renee (Chevrolet) Goeke ’52 Charles Hine ’52 Roberta (Hoffner) Hopkins ’52 Ralph Jansen ’52 Rowland Leverenz ’52, MS ’65 Carolynne (Wendel) Miller ’52 Nancy (Harkless) Russell ’52
Glenn Kiplinger ’53 Everett Latham ’53 Jane (Aspinall) McCormick ’53 William Moody ’53 Angelo Oliva ’53 Sanford Rader ’53 Ruth (Myers) Stellhorn ’53 Valera (Hume) Wolf ’53 James Bredensteiner ’54 Russell Greenberg ’54 Richard Hahn ’54 Barbara Hutton ’54 John O’Hara ’54 Joseph Plis ’54 William Salzmann ’54, MM ’58 Donald Smith ’54 Marlane (Cook) Tisdale ’54 Joe Whitehead ’54 William Braunlin ’55 Robert Casey ’55 Janet (Lowe) Joesten ’55 Mary (Stultz) Kennedy ’55 Sara (Spradling) LeBien ’55 Eugene Miller ’55 Thomas Tegge ’55 Nancy (Turner) Andrews ’56 Alma (Anderson) Benson ’56 Kenneth Gray ’56 Richard Hess ’56 Joseph Landis ’56, MA ’63 Victor Lewis ’56 Patricia (Thompson) Nichols ’56 Leon Nicholsen ’56 Garry Scheuer ’56
Monte O’Connor ’57 Richard Richmond ’57 Tom Rohrabaugh ’57 Charles Russell ’57 Melvin Seitz ’57 Barbara (Winders) Wich ’57 William Aussprung ’58 Mignon (Edwards) Dismore ’58 Linda (Weaver) Hays ’58 William Kirkman ’58 Paula (Silberman) Newton ’58 Thomas Payne ’58, MA ’63 Richard Ahrendts ’59 Esther (Long) Bowman ’59 Esther Fuller ’59 Donald Hipes ’59 Glen Kesler ’59 David McCormick ’59 Robert Ceder ’60 Betty Jo (Miller) Chaleff ’60 Judith (Enyart) Dempsey ’60 Beverly (Bibler) Foltz ’60 Richard Hanley ’60 Robert Renfro ’60 Guy Tillett ’60 James Wittig ’60 Morris Beck ’61 Stephen Challman ’61 Judith (Wood) Garvey ’61, MS ’65 Earlene (Fuller) Gavin ’61 Frederick Ham ’61 John Helmer ’61 Theodore Hood ’61 Martha (Mayer) Hooper ’61 Margaret (Herd) Layne ’61 Jimmy Lumpkin ’61 Thomas Wise ’61
Robert Horton ’62
Newell Easley ’66
Barry Fromm ’72
Linda (Jefry) Mericle ’62
Clarena Huffington ’66
Gail (Webb) Johnson ’72
Cheryl (Geer) Alexander ’81
Ruth Robbins ’62
Susan (Ring) Hyatt ’66
Mary Ann Lewis ’72
Janet (O’Neal) Dizney ’81
Rose Wooden ’62
Geraldine (Williams) Latham ’66
Joan (Hirschfeld) Shoemaker ’72
Oscar Jones ’81
Elizabeth (Jackson) Austen ’63, MM ’69
Lonnie McIntyre ’66
William Stanforth ’72
Lavon (Stark) Ferger ’82
Randall Sheets ’66
Thomas Sughrue ’72
Colleen (Bussell) Herdrich ’82
Rhea (Lowder) Combs ’63 Karen (Hausman) Garver- Lebahn ’63 Nancy (Stevens) Keen ’63 Joel Leaman ’63 David Norton ’63 Jean Prichard ’63 Douglas Robinson ’63 William Baars ’64 Maten Gerdenich ’64
Rosanne (Linville) Jones Davis ’64 Thomas Osmon ’64 Lucille (Taplin) Smith ’64
Dama (Martin) Burkhart ’65 John Dean ’65 Robert Garris ’65
Gary Golomb ’67
Francis Barron ’73
Patricia Roberts ’83
Donald Hess ’67
Curtis Burns ’73
Lydia Delon ’84
Marion (Wingerning) Jarrett ’67, MS ’71
Joseph Collier ’73
Bryan Hacker ’84
Sandra (Finch) Fowler ’73
Wyvonna McClelland ’84
Wilma Taylor ’67 John Walsh ’67 Lyle Brewer ’68, MS ’71 Sandra (McClelland) Grimes ’68
Sara (Boggs) Leach ’69 John May ’69 Ann (Coral) Parke ’69 Mary (Thurston) Samuelson ’69
Jack Boyd ’70
Edwin Gilliatt ’65
Nan (Getchell) DeLucia ’70
Thomas Krasin ’65
John Glover ’70
Larry Lachey ’65 Sharon (Walton) Paulus ’65
James Campbell ’66
Cliff Oilar ’83
Linda (Shackelford) Boone ’70, MS ’75
Paul Dodson ’65
Ruby (King) Cain ’66
Daniel Keller ’83
Mary Jane Allison ’73, MS ’74
Ann Gootee ’69
Mary Margaret (Partenheimer) Webb ’64
Philip Blaze ’66
Samuel Wasmuth ’72
Wayne Ferrill ’67
Susan (Hayden) Sweet ’68
Raymond Rizzo ’64
Thomas Weeks ’65
James Eppert ’67
Mark Allison ’68
Donna (Emmons) LaFollette ’64
Marie (Hall) Ursery ’65
Dorothy Dugan ’83 Craig Horter ’83
Ethel (James) Spacke ’67
Deloris (Reynolds) Jones ’64
Betty Shackelford ’65
Toni (Loo) Timmons ’72 Catherine (Brooks) Vance ’72
Margaret (McKinney) Payne ’67
Geoffrey Hanson ’64
Robert Sandlin ’65
Richard Canada ’67 Arthur Chandler ’67
Dale Mace ’67
Kenneth Brelsfoard ’64
Jeffrey Sullivan ’80
Clarence Harper ’70 Sally (Whitaker) Kidney ’70 Charles McKinley ’70 Bonnie Britton ’71 John Mandabach ’71 Elizabeth Templeton ’71 Barbara (Alsop) Walenga ’71 Larry Wilms ’71 Mary Christie ’72
Theresa (Evans) Hornbacher ’73
Laura (Nowakowski) Murphy ’84
Glen Tuel ’73
Jeffrey Saldutti ’84
Ronald Brooks ’74
Anne (Woodhams) Schultheis ’84
Jay Cork ’74
Kenneth Glaser ’86
Stephen Wargo ’74
William Smock ’86
Nancy (Falconbury) Bennett ’75
Shirley Ahlbrand ’87
Phyllis (Schuh) Craig ’75
Frank Pottorff ’87
Roy Roberts ’75
Mark Uchida ’88, MBA ’96
Doris (Isley) Young ’75
Bruce Roaden ’90
Randall Doerr ’76
Timothy Bratton ’93
Don McKibben ’76
Michael Short ’93
Carolyn Natalie ’76
Deborah Agard ’95
James Wehmeyer ’76
George Wilkins ’95
Patricia (Barry) Gullick ’77
Jamie Harris ’97
Stephan Hoffman ’77
Daniel Thompson ’06
Helen (Schwenk) Klem ’77
Robert Cook ’10
Rick Sexson ’77
Aubrey Conard ’15
Yvonne (Arnold) Gray ’78
Hugh Barker—Former Trustee
Deana (Nelson) Slater ’78 Glenn Freiberger ’79 Lisa Lingle ’79 Jean Ware ’79 Deborah (Willson) Brooks ’80 Beatrice (Fraser) Harding ’80 Frank Huse ’80
In the spring 2019 Butler Magazine In Memoriam section, Alumna Patricia Worrell ’74, was mistakenly listed among those Bulldogs who have left us. Butler University wishes to apologize for this error in reporting.
Elizabeth (Brumby) McElhiney ’80 James Schulze ’80
INCLUDE YOUR NEWS IN THE NEXT CLASS ACTS Your fellow alumni are interested in your professional accomplishments, including a job change, a promotion, or retirement; community and volunteer activities; a recent marriage or addition to your family; or any other news you would like to share. Submit your updates to ClassActs@butler.edu. We look forward to hearing from you. Due to space limitations submitted photographs and/or Class Acts may not always be published.
FALL 2019
55
MAGAZINE
FALL 2019 VICE PRESIDENT for STRATEGY and INNOVATION
Melissa Beckwith ’00
TALES
There’s lots of focus on scholarship in this issue of Butler Magazine, and rightfully so. The importance of providing aspiring students with ample scholarship opportunities cannot be overstated. After all, affording others the opportunity to enjoy the Butler experience speaks directly to the altruistic culture that is The Butler Way. So why am I so passionate about scholarships? Well, because I’m essentially on scholarship myself, thanks to the private gifts and support that make my existence as mascot a reality. And like my fellow students who receive such backing, I’ve been able to leverage the opportunity to go on and do some really big things. Did you know that the Butler Blue Live Mascot Program has become a national benchmark for innovation and activation by other collegiate live mascots? It’s true, and none of that would be possible without strong support. So, thank you for supporting me and our great students. You’re providing more than just scholarships, you’re making an investment in our students’ futures.
GO DAWGS!
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT for MARKETING and COMMUNICATIONS
Stephanie Judge Cripe, MBA ’99 EDITOR
Nancy Lyzun EDITORIAL TEAM
Sherry Crabtree Jennifer Gunnels Emily Heck ’12 Krisy Force Kristi Lafree Meg Liffick Tom Otero ’09 Meredith Sauter ’12 Josie Seach Chloe Lyzun Starleaf ’14 Rachel Stotts Courtney Tuell ’99 ART AND DESIGN TEAM
David Downham Phil Eichacker (Art Director) Alisha Luckenbill Jana Plyley UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER
Brent Smith CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Zach Bolinger Harold Shapiro Caitlin Sullivan CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sarah Bahr Linda Graham Caleca Cindy Dashnaw Katie Grieze Monica Holb ’09 Michael Kaltenmark ’02, MA ’16 Dana Lee ’19 Rachel Stern Megan Ward, MS ’13 CLASS ACTS
Office of Alumni Relations and Engagement ClassActs@butler.edu Butler Magazine is published for alumni, parents, supporters, and friends of Butler University. Share Butler Magazine story ideas and comments via email at butlermagazine@butler.edu.
Visit butler.edu/butlerbeyond to make a gift and learn more about how you can get involved with Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University.
“ May this University be a beacon for academia, athletics, and the social good. And may The Butler Way continue to be that righteous wind at our backs.” – Dr. Michael Hole ’08, speaking at the 2017 State of the University
—Caitlin Sullivan Photography
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