Indiana Tech Magazine - Fall 2019

MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS | FALL 2019

This is one of several communal kitchen and lounge spaces in the recently-opened Summit Hall.

Though the highlight of the new building is single-occupancy rooms, spaces like these provide a sense of community for residents.

Learn more on page 24.

FEATURES 8 HELPING EMPLOYERS HELP THEIR EMPLOYEES

16 HOMECOMING 2019: MANY HAPPY RETURNS

36 MAKING A DIFFERENCE: BLAISE ALEXANDER

Indiana Tech is creating partnerships with businesses of all kinds to help educate and train up their workforces.

Homecoming weekend never disappoints when the Warrior Nation welcomes its own back to campus.

Through Mr. Alexander’s generosity, Florence, Italy, has become a classroom this semester for 12 current students.

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INSIDE TECH 04 Letter from the President

Warrior Athletics

Dr. Einolf recognizes two acts of generosity and reflects on Homecoming 2019 in this issue’s correspondence to readers.

32 Sports News

Across the University 06 By the Numbers: The

Career Center

In this issue, By the Numbers breaks down the work of our Career Center, a free service that helps current students and alumni achieve professional and personal success.

10 Tech Happenings

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry helped the Ph.D. program celebrate its 10-year anniversary.

12 A Few Words with…

Dr. Steve Dusseau works hard to impart life wisdom to his students that goes much deeper than any course syllabus ever could.

14 Faculty Update

Professors Al-Hamouz and Mavromoustakos added to College of Engineering faculty.

15 Tech’s Top Picks

In this issue, we ask faculty and staff, “What books have you read lately that have knocked your socks off?”

26 Academic Roundups

Stevenson named NAIA SID of the Year; athletic department announces its 2020 Hall of Fame class.

Path of a Warrior 34 From the Desk of

Matt Brown

Our new director of alumni relations relished his first homecoming experience at Indiana Tech.

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35 Alumni Notes 38 A Semester in Florence

Learn about a spectacular studyabroad opportunity 12 Indiana Tech students took part in this fall and how you can experience Florence, Italy, through their videos, photos and words.

40 Alumni Spotlight

After retiring as an expert and leader from his field, Stanley Puskarz BSME ’58 says Indiana Tech was “the foundation for everything.”

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41 Tech in Your Town

It was a busy summer of on-theroad friend-making for the Einolfs and the Office of Institutional Advancement.

42 In Memoriam

Learn how each of our colleges are motivating students toward lives of significance and worth.

38 The Orange and Black was out in full force for the annual homecoming hockey game on Friday, Oct. 4, but the Warriors dropped a heartbreaker to Davenport, 2-1.

ON THE COVER:

Indiana Tech Magazine

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Letter from Our President It was wonderful to have so many alumni, students, family members and friends together on campus during Homecoming and Family Weekend this year. From a personal perspective, Maria and I enjoy catching up with the many alumni we’ve come to know as friends these past few years. For the university, it’s also an excellent opportunity to welcome our newest students, and their family members, into the Warrior community.

Those who joined us for this special event had the chance to see and experience firsthand some of the many new things happening around our university, including those featured in this issue of Indiana Tech Magazine. On page 16, as part of our full homecoming coverage, you can learn more about the latest facilities to open at the Warrior Park athletic complex: the new track and field stadium and multi-purpose athletic building. As part of the ribbon-cutting celebration for the new facilities, alum Jack Balko ’58 made a special donation of an early model of his patented ACCUTRACK race timing and photo finish system.

Read more about Jack and his support of Tech on page 20.

perhaps envy-inducing) photos from their time in Italy on page 38. Our study-abroad students have also been sharing updates on their experiences on a special blog created to document their time there in words, pictures and video; make sure to visit academics.indianatech.edu/beyond/studyabroad/florence-2019 to see it all.

Made possible in part through the generosity of Indiana Tech alum Blaise Alexander and his wife Gabriela, the Florence trip is one example of the significant impact that our alumni, friends and community members have on our current students. I’m grateful for the many ways that each of our alums supports our students and our university. On page 40, you can learn more about another alum who has made a difference in both his career and his generosity towards his alma mater, Stanley Puskarz ’58.

As higher education continues to evolve, Indiana Tech consistently works to stay connected, not only to the needs of students, but to employers as well. An important part of our work in this area is the development of corporate partnerships, which enable us to keep our degree programs relevant and compelling, while also helping employers in attracting, developing and retaining the talent they need to succeed. Learn more about our work in this area on page 8.

Indiana Tech continues to see strong interest from students in living on our beautiful campus.

Responding to this demand, we opened the new Summit Hall in August. See photos and learn more about its unique features, including groundWith the close of the traditional undergraduate floor dining and retail space, on page 24. With fall semester and our late fall online class sessions the opening of the new Summit Hall, the original soon to come, it will not be long before we’re Kalbfleisch Hall, dedicated in 1963 in honor of looking ahead to the start of the new year. I wish Tech founder and first president John Kalbfleisch, each of you the best for the coming holiday season closed. Of course, we continue to honor President and the new year, and offer you my sincerest Kalbfleisch—the former Warrior Row C residence thanks for all you do as Warriors! was rechristened in his name this fall. Learn more about the newly named Kalbfleisch Hall on page 11. Warm regards, As part of our mission to prepare students for active participation, career advancement and leadership in the global 21st century society, Indiana Tech has been expanding opportunities for students to study abroad. This fall, a group of Tech students has spent the semester living and studying in Florence, Italy. You can read about the program and see a range of beautiful (and

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Karl W. Einolf, Ph.D. President

Volume 17, Issue 1 Karl W. Einolf, Ph.D. President

Institutional Advancement Dan Grigg Vice President for Institutional Advancement Tracina Smith Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement Dave Stevens Senior Director of Institutional Advancement Mary Lasits Senior Director of Institutional Advancement Matthew Brown Director of Alumni Relations Kayla Paz Director of Advancement Services Karma Bradley Campaign Coordinator Erin Johnson Grants Manager Megan Drake Administrative Assistant and Gift Processor

Marketing Brian Engelhart Vice President for Marketing and Communication Matt Bair Director of Marketing and Communication Julie Farison Creative Director Brook Barile Graphic Designer Sarah Suraci Graphic Designer Joel Kuhn, BS ’12 Web Developer Bethany Lowe UX/UI Designer Jennifer Murphy Director of Marketing, College of Professional Studies Amber Owens Social Media Manager Randy Smith Photo and Video Producer

Indiana Tech online: IndianaTech.edu

Please send comments, news and feature story ideas to: Indiana Tech attn: Marketing 1600 E. Washington Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46803 phone: 260.422.5561 or 800.937.2448, ext. 2250 email: Marketing@IndianaTech.edu The editors reserve the right to edit articles for length and clarity.

Articles may be reproduced with permission and proper attribution.

Some events during Homecoming 2019 gave students the opportunity to “horse around.”

Our Mission: Indiana Tech provides learners a professional education; prepares them for active participation, career advancement and leadership in the global 21st century society; and motivates them toward a life of significance and worth.

Indiana Tech Magazine

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ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY By the Numbers

1,255 CAREER CENTER The goal of Indiana Tech’s Career Center is to prepare students and alumni for professional and personal success. Through personal advising and a wealth of additional resources, the Career Center helps clients with self-assessment, resume building, networking, interviewing, salary negotiations and more. It’s a free service to students and a lifetime benefit for alumni. And, the Career Center features online support that is available 24/7.

In this issue of Indiana Tech Magazine, our By the Numbers feature highlights the work of the Career Center during the 2018-19 academic year.

To contact Indiana Tech’s Career Center, visit careercenter.indianatech.edu.

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students utilized the Indiana Career Explorer for assessments that help them evaluate their values, interests, personalities and skill sets, and ultimately, assist them in their career decision-making.* * A RECORD FOR THE DEPARTMENT

1 Career Lab was implemented to assist with resume development and review, job search basics, LinkedIn reviews and more.

175

4.6

100

%

The highest average score, to date, for student mock interview preparedness, as rated by employerpartners who conducted the interview (on a 5-point Likert Scale).

of students who completed a mock interview indicated “it was a good use of their time.”

7 increase %

students completed a mock interview one-on-one with one of our employer-partners.

The rise in the number of students who enrolled in the Pre-Internship Seminar, which is comprised of instructive coursework a student must complete prior to beginning an internship.

351 140 students participated in professional dress days.

239 students participated in etiquette events.

students participated in the best resume competition.

1,456 number of appointments with students.*

ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY Around the Regions

A WIN FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED For nearly 90 years, Indiana Tech has provided working adults with the skills and knowledge necessary to make positive and immediate impacts within their workplace. The relationships the university has with employers are key components in its strategy to partner with businesses of all kinds to educate and train

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up their workforces.

In today’s economy, where jobs are plentiful and unemployment is low in most regions, this is especially important to employers as they look for ways to recruit and retain excellent talent.

“Our graduates are out in the workforce, and they come back to us when they’re in need of training for their employees. They a 100% paid-for education in this area. When we’re at recruiting events and job fairs, that is untouchable. It helps with recruiting of new employees, and it helps with retention of our existing employees.”

Another company that offers employees a similar benefit is Samtec, a national electronics manufacturing company with locations in southern Indiana. Employees at Samtec can pursue their degree of choice, as long as it fits within the company’s business model. Samtec pays for 100% of the cost.

Why do companies like Heartland and Samtec choose to invest in their workforce at this level?

“We’re in a unique position to be able to partner with employers that have training or higher education needs,” said Steve Herendeen, vice president for enrollment management at Indiana Tech. “Because of the history that we have working with employers, we are able to customize programming to fit an organization’s specific needs.”

Today, that means working with companies like Heartland, a Global Payments Company. The national company has a call center in southern Indiana, where 800-plus employees can earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management from Indiana Tech, and it’s 100% paid for by their employer.

“Heartland University is a unique program,” said Chris Hargett, director of operations and employee engagement at Heartland. “There are no other companies, to my knowledge, that do

“We care about our associates and we care about the community, so continuing education is a win-win for both,” said Cathy Fields, HR generalist and recruiter at Samtec. “Indiana Tech’s willingness to offer on-site classes for our associates gives them back their family time, and that ties in with our culture here at Samtec, and a happy work-life balance.”

In addition to offering specialized degree tracks and on-site classes for employers, the university can also work with organizations to offer customized training and development programs.

For example, faculty and leaders from Indiana Tech developed a series of workshops for one of Indiana’s largest hospital systems. Parkview Health employees who participate in the series will take a deep dive into the content and skills necessary to prepare business proposals that support and advance the hospital system’s initiatives. While not credit-bearing, those who participate in the program receive handson experience and support building business proposals that are relevant to their roles at Parkview Health.

know what we do, because we did it for them.”

“An Indiana Tech alum who works at Parkview Health reached out to us with a need for this highly customized training,” said Dr. Kathleen Hanold Watland, dean of Indiana Tech’s College of Business. “We worked with the hospital system to develop a needs assessment, followed by a proposal for how Indiana Tech could help address their training needs. We’re looking forward to beginning this training with them in early 2020.”

Indiana Tech specializes in meeting employers wherever they are in their training process, from offering associate degree programs all the way through a Ph.D. in Global Leadership. This includes graduate-level certificate programs with credits that feed directly into a master’s degree.

“Our degree programs are industry-focused and designed with employers’ needs in mind,” said Herendeen. “In fact, many of our corporate relationships are the result of alumni ties.

Our graduates are out in the workforce, and they come back to us when they’re in need of training for their employees. They know what we do, because we did it for them.

“Companies choose to work with us for a number of reasons, not the least of which is our flexibility and adaptability,” said Herendeen. “More than that, we can offer our corporate partners something that other universities cannot, and that’s a relationship with a personal admissions representative who is going to be there for them— and for their employees—every step of the way.”

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ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY Tech Happenings

L.E.A.D. Summit welcomes community leaders to campus

Ph.D. program marks 10-year anniversary Indiana Tech’s Ph.D. in Global Leadership program turns 10 years old this academic year. During the program’s fall immersion weekend, current students, alumni, faculty and staff, and community leaders from around the region gathered on campus to mark the occasion with a special anniversary celebration in the Snyder Academic Center. Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry was on hand to present a proclamation declaring the day as “Indiana Tech Ph.D. in Global Leadership Day” in the city. Indiana Tech President Dr. Karl Einolf presented a special recognition award to President Emeritus Dr. Arthur Snyder, who shared his reflections and perspective on the program’s growth since its founding in 2009.

Dr. Angie Fincannon, director of the Indiana Tech Ph.D. program, noted, “Ten years is a special milestone for all of our students, faculty and staff. We’re extremely proud of all of our graduates and the leadership roles they have in organizations around the world. And we have strong momentum for the future. We continue to attract bright students from across the globe, and are excited about developing new programs to meet the needs of future generations of students.”

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This spring, Indiana Tech will host the inaugural L.E.A.D. Summit on campus. The summit is an opportunity for established and emerging leaders around the region to participate in professional development workshops centered around the topics of Leadership, Engagement, Action and Diversity.

Speakers, presenters and facilitators at the daylong event will be drawn from corporate, academic and non-profit organizations. Keynote speakers include national leadership consultant and speaker Daniel Juday, and Heather Herron, vice president of corporate communications for Sweetwater in Fort Wayne. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Diversity Persistence Award, a new scholarship fund created to assist Indiana Tech juniors and seniors from historically underrepresented groups as they progress towards degree completion. The L.E.A.D. Summit will take place Friday, April 17, 2020.

To learn more and to register to attend, visit diversity. indianatech.edu/lead-summit.

Tech Talks 2019-20: Exploring Identity The university’s 2019-20 Tech Talks series centers on the theme “Exploring Identity.” This year’s series will explore identity with events throughout the year on topics about race, first-generation college-student status, gender, sexuality, athletics, academics and more. Tech Talks includes many events open to the public as well as Indiana Tech students, faculty, staff and alumni. Fall programs have included “I’m First!,” a celebratory event welcoming first-generation students to Indiana Tech and university life; “Comics as Healing and Self Expression,” featuring nationally-known artist and educator Lawrence Lindell; an art exhibit, “Human Interest,” showing

in the Franco D’Agostino Art Gallery on campus in partnership with the Fort Wayne Museum of Art; and a film and discussion, “Alone in the Game,” a public film event in the Magee O’Connor Theater.

Now in its third year, the Tech Talks series is a collaboration of Indiana Tech’s Academic and Student Affairs departments. Centering on a yearly theme, the purpose of the co-curricular series is to promote active dialogue and awareness about important issues of social justice across the globe.

Previous years have focused on the opioid crisis in America, and on human trafficking. For more information about upcoming Tech Talks events, visit indianatech.edu/tech-talks.

Residence hall renamed in honor of Tech founder John Kalbfleisch Visitors to campus this fall may notice a few changes to the landscape of residence halls on campus. In addition to the opening of the new Summit Hall (see page 24 for full story), the original Kalbfleisch Hall, built in 1963 at the southwest corner of Washington Blvd. and Schick St., was taken down.

Kalbfleisch Hall was named in honor of Indiana Tech’s founder and first president, John Kalbfleisch. With the closing of the original residence hall, the university rededicated the Warrior Row C residence in honor of Mr. Kalbfleisch.

The dedication includes a lobby display in the building featuring photos and a biography of President Kalbfleisch, and photos and background on the original residence hall bearing his name. The original dorm’s exterior signage featuring Mr. Kalbfleisch’s name has also been repurposed as a centerpiece of the new lobby display.

Indiana Tech Magazine

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ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY A Few Words with...

STEVE DUSSEAU In the early ’90s, the pieces were just falling nicely into place for Dr. Steve Dusseau.

He “married up” (his words, not ours) and, with the love of his life, began a family that, quite simply, he adores. His engineering education was also paying dividends as he was able to earn quality positions with General Motors and Wire Rope Corporation of America.

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: So, early in your career, your education was clearly paying off—you were able to work with one of most recognized brands in the world (General Motors) and then for the world’s leading developer and producer of wire rope. Why did you decide to make the foray into academia?

in everyday life. The fellowship that occurs around these meaningful conversations has developed countless lifelong friendships within the group.

Still, something deeper was calling to Steve and, when he heeded the call, it helped him identify his life purpose. It led him to pursue a Ph.D. and a stage where he could fulfill his newfound purpose. That stage turned out to be Indiana Tech, where Dr. Dusseau was hired to begin the university’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) degree program.

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: I was recently married, and a few mentor couples challenged us to invest in something bigger than ourselves. I was pursuing an MBA degree after my engineering bachelor’s. We enjoyed college-aged people and thought that would be a good place to start. A dream was born.

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: Never.

Since then, professor Dusseau’s IME program has become a pillar within Indiana Tech’s stellar College of Engineering. He works hard to make sure his students graduate well-equipped to enter the workforce with a solid skill set and confidence. Equally as important, Steve works hard to impart life wisdom to his students that goes much deeper than any course syllabus ever could.

Here is A Few Words with Steve Dusseau.

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Essentially, it was a decision to align my purpose in life with my vocation. I think honoring God with my life is the most important thing I can do with it. Living that out with college students was the reason I left industry to go into academia.

One specific way this happens is that my wife and I have hosted a Bible study in our home for area college students every Wednesday evening since 1996. This is my favorite time of the week and we meet all year long.

While our students can earn a living with their degree, I believe there is more to life than that.

Many have found that the spiritual aspect is foundational to everything. So, on Wednesday nights, I go verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible and then discuss how we can apply it

I consider this a dream come true.

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: Have you ever questioned your decision to leave industry?

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: You have been in Fort Wayne since 1996. Tell us a little bit about your family.

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: I have a wonderful wife and we have been married almost 30 years.

Anyone who knows us would confirm that I married up—she’s way out of my league.

We have four children, three daughters and a son. All of them are in their mid-twenties and have full-time jobs here in Fort Wayne. Hannah went to college in Ohio, is married to a great guy and is a clinical dietitian at Parkview Hospital.

The other three went to college in Georgia. Grace is a human resources generalist at Brotherhood Mutual. She recently earned her MBA from Indiana Tech. Joe is a process engineer and production manager at Master Spas. Emma is a pre-K teacher.

My wife and I are very thankful.

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: Clearly you are a motivated and persistent person who has a love for learning. How have these qualities affected how you parent, how you teach?

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: I have a real love to understand what the Bible says. That love has guided how I parent along with many other aspects of my life.

I love to learn about my students. The academic degree they are in is just a part of who they are, so I try to view them holistically. Given that, I try to embed some ‘life lessons’ at several points throughout the semester in every course I teach, including topics such as the value of humility, personal finance-investing and time management.

These are lessons that I wish I would have known better before leaving college, so I share them with the students to try to help.

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: What do you like to do with your down time?

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: I like spending time with my wife and family hiking, exercising and doing just about anything.

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: What are some of your proudest moments at Indiana Tech?

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: Every graduation day.

I am proud to be even a small piece of some of the students’ lives when they cross the stage to get their diplomas. It often feels like a part of me is walking with them and it is such an honor.

It was also really satisfying being on the engineering team that gained ABET accreditation for the first time (in the late 1990s). While there

“I love to learn about my students. The academic degree they are in is just a part of who they are, so I try to view them holistically.” were several attempts through the previous decades, we were successful in gaining the accreditation for the ME and EE programs.

Finally, I enjoyed being on the search committee that resulted in hiring (current Indiana Tech president) Dr. Einolf. I was hired while Mr. Andorfer was president and continued my career while Dr. Snyder was president. I really care about the university and know that the decision regarding who would be the next president was very important. I was just honored to be part of the process.

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: What is the state of Indiana Tech’s IME program?

provides a clear path for those who wish to pursue a Master of Science in Engineering Management (MSE).

According to the most recent Indiana Career Ready survey, IME is the ‘hottest’ engineering field out of the entire category of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math occupations. Also, IME is in the top 10 of hottest job opportunities with a bachelor’s degree ranked by average salary.

INDIANA TECH MAGAZINE: What does the future look like for Indiana Tech’s IME program?

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: This year we will be completing a comprehensive review of the IME program and we will determine curricular changes from that assessment. Part of that review includes recognizing some current and future trends and identifying how to most effectively integrate those into the curriculum. Those include Lean and Six Sigma, robotics, big data and data analytics, and AI-IOT-machine learning. Some of these are already an integral part of IME and the program is positioned well for future potential subject changes.

PROFESSOR DUSSEAU: The current state of our IME program is good. It is the only engineering program that offers three learning modalities— traditional day school, CPS face-to-face and online. In addition, an IME undergraduate degree Indiana Tech Magazine

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ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY Faculty update

Al-Hamouz and Mavromoustakos added to COE faculty The College of Engineering has added Dr. Zakariya Al-Hamouz (A) and Dr. Stephanos Mavromoustakos (B) to its faculty for the 2019-20 academic year.

A

B

Dr. Al-Hamouz was hired to lead the college’s new electrical engineering technology program. The Associate of Science in EET, which was launched this school year, is unique to the region as it is delivered fully online.

Professor Amstutz’s Leepoxy Award win is “well-deserved” Assistant professor of accounting Gail Amstutz is the winner of Indiana Tech’s 2018 Leepoxy Award for Teaching Innovation. This award was established in 2008 by community supporter and owner of Leepoxy Plastics, Larry Lee. It is given annually to a full-time faculty member who:

à Leading the development of the College of Business’ peer-mentoring initiative, during which senior students mentor first-year students through projects, presentations and social gatherings as part of their capstone experience

à Challenges students to continuously progress to higher levels of thinking

à Launching a program that has, for the past two years, provided students an opportunity to gain valuable skills/experiences and professional certification while serving their community

à Engages students in active learning activities à Connects to students in innovative ways to positively impact their experiences at Indiana Tech Professor Amstutz received her award during Indiana Tech’s August convocation ceremony.

During the presentation, she was recognized for: à Being available to help her students at all hours of the day à Challenging students to critically consider and apply course concepts while providing the scaffolding they need

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“This is such a well-deserved recognition for professor Amstutz. She works so hard for our students each and every day, and I am proud to have her on our team,” said dean of Indiana Tech’s College of Business, Dr. Kathleen Hanold Watland.

Dr. Al Hamouz earned his Ph.D. from King Faud University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where he was a professor for nearly 20 years. He came to the United States in 2017 and has taught at the University of Central Florida and Michigan Technological University.

Dr. Mavromoustakos was hired in earlyOctober to head up the university’s digital graphics and design program and its web development program. He takes the place of professor Maria Lee, who retired earlier this year.

Dr. Mavromoustakos has two Ph.D.s— one with a computer science focus on web engineering from the University of Cyprus, the other with an information systems focus on information security from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He comes to Indiana Tech with more than 15 years of experience in academia and industry. Most recently, he taught computer science at the University of Windsor in Canada.

Tech’s Top Picks

Dr. Cortney Robbins, associate professor of English, earned her doctorate in education from Ball State in May by successfully defending her dissertation, “The Experiences of Women and Gender Nonbinary Humanities Students in Higher Education.”

Vicki Davis, assistant professor of English, presented “Victorians, Terministic Screens, and Assessment Committees: Applying Lessons from the Past” at July’s Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference in Baltimore.

For this issue’s “Tech’s Top Picks,” Indiana Tech Magazine asked faculty and staff: “What books have you read recently that have knocked your socks off?” Here are some of the titles that have rendered our readers sockless.

The book I read is titled, “The Looting Machine,” by Tom Burgis. The novel resonated with me as it is a compelling read about the curse of Africa’s resources. Africa is known to be the richest continent—past and present— yet the majority of its population is povertystricken. It delves into how the continent has been pillaged for its resources since it was discovered by non-African nations that the continent is mineral-rich. It is a sad reality as to how the people suffer due to actions of secretive networks and corrupt leaders who take advantage of its resources.—Kudzai A. Toto, Resident Assistant A student let me borrow her copy of “Vox,”

by Christina Dalcher, which is based on an interesting premise: all women and girls are only allowed to speak 100 words per day. It is a recently-published dystopian novel that has many connections to the classic, “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Although the mechanism of control is different, in many ways it is just as terrifying.—Dr. Cortney Robbins, Associate Professor of English I read “The Story of Arthur Truluv,” by Elizabeth Berg. It was a wonderful relationship tale between intergenerational friendships and how humans need each other, often at just the right time. It is a feel-good novel with a message that is a good escape.

—Kelly Brewer, Director of Admissions, College of Professional Studies Southern Region

“The Story of Modern Art,” by Sheldon Cheney.

The book immerses the reader in the world of Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso and O’Keeffe. It’s historical but so much fun for an art lover.

—Carrie Duke, Assistant Professor of Rhetoric/Composition “Still Alice,” by Lisa Genova, is a very touching look at a 50 year-old woman who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard and learns that she has early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is one that affects so many families (including my own), and the story of Alice Howland’s descent into full-blown Alzheimer’s disease is simply riveting. The author is a neuroscientist, so the book is based on fact, even though it is fiction.

—Linda Hoffman, Adjunct Professor “The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technology Causes Great Firms to Fail,” by Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen. The book was first published in 1997; only recently did I discover it while researching the theory of creative destruction. Christensen builds on the idea of creative destruction by looking at the impact of innovation. One application of his theory is to the innovation of online teaching.

It is his view that online teaching is a costeffective way of delivering college courses. The cost savings when added to changing student preferences will lead to a transformation of the university structure.—Patricia Dwyer, Adjunct Professor Indiana Tech Magazine

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A

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D

Fort Wayne took on a decidedly orange tint Oct. 3-6 during Indiana Tech’s annual Homecoming and Family Weekend. Tech alumni, students, faculty, staff, family and friends came together to reminisce, socialize and just plain have fun during events throughout the long weekend.

F

E

A. Warrior Park hosted its first-ever alumni softball game

G

B. Ed Paragi, left, and David Robling both graduated from Tech in 1969 with electrical engineering degrees C. Student Alfredo Smith loves homecoming D. It was all smiles at the women’s alumni soccer game E. Alumni women’s lacrosse players in action on the Warrior Athletic Field F. Camaraderie is the name of the game when alumni baseball teams take the field G. Jack Balko BSME ’58 and his wife, Celia, enjoy conversation in the Uytengsu Center

Indiana Tech Magazine

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B

A

IT

was Indiana Tech Spirit Week leading into weekend festivities, with students, faculty and staff decked out in their best Tech gear each day, and many decorating their residence halls, classrooms and workspaces in full-on orange and black. Thursday evening, the Warrior Homecoming Party took over Andorfer Commons, with hundreds taking part in games and friendly competition in the rec center, and cheering on Warrior athletic teams preparing for competition throughout the weekend.

Friday kicked off with a welcome celebration in the Uytengsu Center, where alums caught up with old friends and made new connections with today’s Indiana Tech community. Campus tours were offered by Indiana Tech students during the afternoon hours, allowing alumni, and family and friends of current students, to see all that is new on campus. This included the newest residence hall, Summit Hall, which opened in August, along with new science labs in the Zollner Engineering Center and Snyder Academic Center.

Later Friday, the homecoming hockey tailgate helped everyone get their school spirit on and get fueled up with a tailgate-style cookout before heading to the rink to cheer for the Warrior hockey team as they took on Davenport University. The team battled hard in their first home game of the season before falling 2-1. On campus, women’s volleyball was in action at the Schaefer Center Friday night, capping the day with a 3-0 victory over

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C

Rochester University.

The annual President’s Dinner took place Friday night, honoring major Indiana Tech donors for all they do to support Indiana Tech students. Hosted by President Einolf, the celebration took place at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in downtown Fort Wayne. Student speaker Alex Forsythe was joined by family members as she shared her experiences at Tech, and spoke of how scholarship support has helped make her college education possible.

The event also celebrated the establishment of a new endowed scholarship at Indiana Tech. Warrior alum Jan Schilling BSME ’69 was recognized for creating the Jan Schilling Scholarship fund to support students pursuing degrees in Indiana Tech’s College of Engineering and School of Computer Sciences. Mr. Schilling shared his story of the impact that his Indiana Tech degree had on his life and career, which included service as chief engineer and general manager for Continued on page 21

A. Students prepare for the annual homecoming hockey game B. A sunny Saturday filled with events made for many smiles C. The alumni volleyball game served up many memories for former Warriors D. Freshman forward Cam Chabot scrambles after a loose puck E. Guests share a laugh during the President’s Dinner at the Grand Wayne Center F. Alexandra Forsythe, a double-major who is pursuing degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering, speaks during the President’s Dinner G. Jan Schilling BSME ’69 celebrated his 50th reunion and was recognized by President Einolf for the establishment of the new Jan Schilling Scholarship

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A. Casino Night: always a favorite among homecoming festivities B. A furry fetcher catches some air during the Flying Houndz Frizbee Trick Dog Show C. The ribbon is cut, officially opening Indiana Tech’s new track and field stadium and its Warrior Athletic Multipurpose Building at Warrior Park D. This race could be a photo finish

TIMING IS EVERYTHING Jack Balko ’58 and the ACCUTRACKTM System Alumni and community members who took part in the Warrior Park ribbon-cutting celebration were treated not only to a close-up look at the new state-of-the-art facilities, but also to a special contribution

by Indiana Tech alum Jack Balko, BSME ’58.

Mr. Balko donated an early model of the automated timing and photo finish system he invented – the first of its kind in the world – for display at Warrior Park. The system was unveiled during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Mr. Balko’s ACCUTRACK system was, at the time of its invention, the first automated electronic timing and photo finish system in the world, and remained the standard by which other systems were judged for decades. Following its introduction in 1972, ACCUTRACK was adopted by the NCAA and USAA Track and Field Associations for their 1974 and 1975 National Championships. Each association went on to require automatic time records for race events to qualify for all championship meets. Mr. Balko founded Specialty Instruments Corporation (SIC) to further develop ACCUTRACK and other systems that were used in a wide range of timed sports, at the high school, collegiate, national, international and Olympic levels.

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After graduating from Indiana Tech in 1958, Mr. Balko served in the U.S. Army and then went on to positions with Delta Oil Refining Company, Ling-Temco-Vought, Inc. and Recognition Equipment Incorporated (REI).

It was his experience at REI that led him to design the special photo finish camera with electronic timing that became ACCUTRACK, and to form Specialty Instruments Corporation.

Of his time at Indiana Tech, Mr. Balko said, “Indiana Tech really helped me develop my talents in engineering and my interest in invention. The education I got here gave me a great basis for success at each stop in my career. Observing the university today, I can see it has a well-developed program for current students. I’m impressed with both the programs and the facilities. I’m extremely proud to be a Tech grad and proud of what the university is doing today.”

Mr. Balko also encouraged alumni of all ages to get connected to their school, noting, “My first visit back to campus was for my 60th reunion, last year. I’m disappointed in myself that I stayed away that long, and want to encourage others to come back and stay connected. A place we enjoyed and that helped us is doing impressive things today, and is very much worthy of our support and help.”

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Continued from page 18 GE Aviation, where he was responsible for ensuring the safety of all GE Aviation products. During his time at GE, Mr. Schilling was recognized with the Edison Award, GE’s highest award for technical excellence.

Mr. Schilling was also elected to the National Academy of Engineers, one of the highest professional honors an engineer can achieve during their career.

Saturday’s homecoming events began with the annual Prayer Service in Wegener Chapel welcoming a full house of alumni, students, family members, faculty and staff. The service was led by Indiana Tech Faith Services Coordinator Elizabeth Carlin.

Saturday morning was also highlighted by the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new track and field stadium and multi-purpose athletic building at Warrior Park, Indiana Tech’s new athletic complex.

Dr. Einolf and Athletic Director Debbie Warren offered remarks celebrating Tech’s newest athletic facilities before being joined by Warrior coaches in cutting the ceremonial orange ribbon. The event also featured a homecoming breakfast for all attendees and tours of the facilities.

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The new track and field stadium provides, for the first time, a true home training and competition facility for the men’s and women’s track and field programs, who have combined to win 11 NAIA indoor and outdoor national championships since 2010. The multi-purpose building will be the home of the Indiana Tech men’s wrestling program, which has produced three national champions in recent years, as well as the new women’s wrestling program, the first program of its kind in the state of Indiana. Women’s wrestling will begin competition in the 2020-21 academic year. The facility also boasts a state-of-the-art training facilities, team meeting rooms and offices for Indiana Tech’s cross country, softball and tennis programs.

Following the events at Warrior Park—back at main campus—students, family and alumni enjoyed the annual Party on the Square, which featured food trucks, an ice cream social, music, games in Scully Square and the rec center, and more. The lawn outside the Snyder Academic Center played host to the unique entertainment experience of the Flying Houndz Frizbee Trick Dog Show, a first-time homecoming event featuring a family of canine superstars providing the crowd with an action-packed show.

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B C

The annual Alumni Recognition and Awards Ceremony luncheon took place in the Seitz Conference Center in Andorfer Commons.

More than 100 Warriors were there to help honor three special award winners: Graduateof-the-Last-Decade (G.O.L.D.) Jedidiah Bressman BSBA ’14; Alumni Volunteer of the Year Alan Elliot, BSIME ’03, MBA ’10; and CPS Alumnus of the Year Clifford Clarke, BS Data Processing ’89, MBA ’05.

Members of the reunion classes of 1959, ’69, ’79, ’89, ’99 and 2009 were also recognized during the event. President Einolf presented 50-year Indiana Tech medallions to 12 members of 1969’s 50-year reunion class, and to five members of the 1959 60-year class. Sixty-year alums taking part included Donald King, BSCE; Edward Mayo, BSEE; Stanley Puskarz, BSME; James Robertson, BSME; and Edward Rogers, BSEE. Fifty-year alumni represented at the banquet this year included Kenneth Auer, BSCE; Thomas Croucher, BSME; Thomas Dwenger, BSME; Don Gillespie, BSME; John Hanagan, BSME; Edward Hanish, BSME; Edward Paragi, BSEE; Paul Rising, BSME; David Robling, BSEE; Jan Schilling, BSME; Dennis Sensenich, BSEE; and Roger Strickler, BSME. President Einolf also presented a 50-year medallion to a 1968 alum who was unable to attend last year’s celebration, Gene Neff, BSCE. Athletic alums were able to test their skills against today’s Warrior athletes in several alumni games held on Saturday and Sunday.

Baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball all hosted games where program alums competed against current team members for a year’s worth of bragging rights.

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Intercollegiate athletics were also in full swing on Saturday. The men’s and women’s tennis teams beat IU-East 6-1 and 5-2, respectively, in competition at the Swinney Tennis Center. Women’s volleyball lost a hard-fought matchup with Lawrence Tech at the Schaefer Center, 3-1. The hockey team was back on the ice, winning big and setting a single game scoring record for the program with a 12-1 victory over Eastern Michigan.

A. Friends take a moment to reacquainted on the patio outside Andorfer Commons B. Members of the reunion classes of 1959, ’69, ’79, ’89, ’99 and 2009 were recognized during the annual Alumni Recognition and Awards Ceremony luncheon

Saturday evening saw the debut of a new C. Dining hall turned into a Homecoming and Family Weekend event, Dinner dance hall during Saturday’s festivities and a Show, which featured the Casual Friday Band.

Warrior students, family and friends, and alums gathered for dinner and music from a local favorite tailor-made for a festive occasion. Later Saturday evening, a popular 2018 first-time event returned for a second year—the Alumni Social Tent in Scully Square. Socializing Thank you to everyone who helped make outdoors over snacks and adult Homecoming and Family Weekend a wonderful beverages, Warrior alums from every experience once again. Make plans now to join era gathered to share memories and us Oct. 1-4, for Homecoming 2020! make new ones.

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30 YEARS OF TWIST! Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the annual Trask/Walls Invitational Student Tournament (TWIST) welcomed 140 golfers comprised of business leaders, Indiana Tech faculty and staff, alumni and students alike, to Chestnut Hills Golf Club on a beautiful day Sept. 15 to show off their golf game and build connections.

Started by two Indiana Tech professors, Dr. Jeffrey Walls and the late Walter Trask, TWIST gives alumni and area employers a chance to network with students and teach them the business side of golf. Proceeds from the event benefit the Moore/Trask Scholarship Fund at Indiana Tech, the Indiana Tech golf program and the Alumni Scholarship Award.

TWIST 2019 sponsors included Mid-American Cleaning Contractors, Elevatus Architecture, Summit Mechanical, Votaw Electric, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Design Collaborative, Innovative Control Systems, Engineering Resources, SCS Mechanical, Inc., the Indiana Tech Alumni Association Board, Three Rivers Distilling Company, Parrish Pork and Poultry, AcuAim

Golf, Dixon Golf, Jarrod Williams and Dr. Jeff Walls. Sponsorships allow students to play for free and connect with players from those organizations.

Of special note this year, Woody Stillwagon, BSCE ’64, recently received a patent from the United States Golf Association for a notable advancement in putting technology.

The founder of AcuAim Golf, Mr. Stillwagon donated one of his innovative, custom-fit putters as a raffle item to help raise funds at TWIST. (Learn more about his company and patented technology at acuaimgolf.com.)

TWIST XXX RESULTS à First Place: Dr. Jeff Walls, Nick Quick, Megan (Garrison) Quick, Tyler Willet à Second Place: Shane Tirey, Justin Medieros, Taylor Hoisington, Josh Pheils à Third Place: Tara Hanna, Brittany Watson, Gordon Murphy, Zach Palmer à Closest to the Pin: Loren Krieder, Megan Quick, Joe Whitaker, Katie Giant à Longest Drive – Women: Tara Hanna à Longest Putt: Justin Burnham à Longest Drive – Men: Tyler Willet

A. The third-place team, from left to right: Tara Hanna, Gordon Murphy, Zach Palmer and Brittany Watson

Congratulations to our 2019 winners and thanks to all who joined us this year. Be sure to join us Sept. 20, 2020 for TWIST XXXI!

B. From left to right: Ravi Talwar BSME ’65; Dr. Tom Kaplan, vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Einolf; and Prabodh Kothari BSME ’66 C. The winning team, from left to right: Tyler Willet, Nick Quick, Megan (Garrison) Quick and Dr. Jeff Walls Indiana Tech Magazine

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Singular Living Space Summit Hall opens on main campus

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“ While Summit Hall allows students to live alone, the residence hall is designed in many ways to encourage community, socializing and collaboration.”

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tudents arriving on campus for fall semester found a newly-completed residence hall awaiting them — Summit Hall—located north of Andorfer Commons at the intersection of Schick Street and Washington Boulevard.

hall, students had reserved every room — it was full. Students were waiting for an option like Summit Hall. Our residence halls are among the nicest you’ll find anywhere, and offering more single rooms expands the variety of living experiences we can offer.”

Named in honor of Indiana Tech’s home – Fort Wayne, the Summit City – Summit Hall offers a new living experience for students. Each of the residence hall’s rooms is a single room, allowing students to live on their own, without a roommate.

While there are a small number of single rooms scattered among Tech’s other residence halls, Summit Hall is the first to be comprised entirely of singles. In total, Summit Hall is home to 100 students.

While Summit Hall allows students to live alone, the residence hall is designed in many ways to encourage community, socializing and collaboration. Each floor features an open kitchen area and student lounge, where students can prepare meals, spend time with friends and gather for social events. There are also study spaces on each floor that can be used by individual students or small groups working on projects together.

Demand for a single-living option has been increasing in recent years, notes Dr. Dan Stoker, Indiana Tech’s vice president for student affairs: “Within days of announcing the new residence

additional dining and service options on campus.

The first to open was marketC, a new automated, self-service convenience store where students swipe in via their student IDs and pay by credit card. marketC is open 24 hours a day.

A new dining option, Max’s Bistro, is set to open in January. Max’s, named for Indiana Tech Warrior mascot Maximus, will offer a range of freshly prepared entrees and on-the-go items throughout the day. The third retail space will be home to a coffee shop, set to open this coming spring. The university is currently in discussion with several local coffee roasters to supply the new shop, which will also feature light food options. The next time you’re on campus, stop by!

Also new to the Indiana Tech campus is the first-floor retail space built into Summit Hall.

The street level of the new residence hall is composed of three retail spaces, giving students

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2016 grad Richardson is taking on USC Gould School of Law

Academic Roundup COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES External learning components play key role in new on-campus Human Services degree program Beginning this school year, students were able to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Human Services by traditional methods at Indiana Tech’s main campus in Fort Wayne. Previously, this degree was obtainable only through the university’s adult and online education program, the College of Professional Studies.

For assistant professor and program chair of human services Michael Dunne-Steece, giving his students ample opportunities to learn outside the classroom is extremely important when it comes to reinforcing his in-class curriculum.

Recently, Dunne-Steece took his class for an observatory visit to Hubbard Hill Memory Care in Elkhart, Indiana, and to the Great Kids Make Great Communities Annual Conference on Youth in Fort Wayne.

“The goal of these outings is for students to gain insight into the field of human services. There is so much more to the field than what comes to mind, and these outings inspire our students and light a fire of passion,” Dunne-Steece said.

Broadly defined, those who enter the human services field seek to improve the overall quality of life of various populations through the prevention and remediation of problems.

“Specialists in community and social services are in demand all across the country, and new opportunities are emerging for them all the time,” Dunne-Steece said. “For compassionate individuals who are called to use their natural talents to help others, this degree will show them how to use their positive energy in ways that can be life-changing.”

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The populations human services professionals work with most commonly are children and families, the elderly, immigrants, veterans, the homeless and people with disabilities, criminal records, addictions or mental illnesses.

As such, Indiana Tech has constructed a robust curriculum that addresses topics in the areas of addiction, gerontology, social policy, public communication, crisis management and case management.

“The landscape of the human services industry has changed drastically in recent years, so we have revised our curriculum to make sure our students are best-prepared for the current challenges and expectations they will face,” Dunne-Steece said.

“More importantly, I want those who graduate from our program to take pride in and feel empowered by the career paths they choose. They are important and they matter. Who wouldn’t want to get paid to do what they love, all while showing compassion and giving back to the community?”

Later this school year, Dunne-Steece hopes to take classes to the Center for Non-Violence and get them behind the scenes to speak with judges in the Allen County court system.

When Indiana Tech stopped offering a paralegal degree in 2012, Idontea Richardson didn’t know what she was going to do. That’s when Kim Spielman, associate professor of criminal justice and pre-law, intervened.

“He called me into his office to explain what was happening with the paralegal program, but then he encouraged me to join the pre-law program, instead,” Idontea said.

Four years later, Idontea graduated with honors from Indiana Tech’s pre-law program and was named the university’s most outstanding pre-law/criminal justice student for 2016.

“I knew the transition to the pre-law program would not be easy, but professor Spielman gave me ease because he said he believed in me and he knew I would do fine,” Idontea said. “It’s because of him that I never gave up on my dream of becoming a corporate lawyer, business owner and future judge.”

Today, Idontea’s star is still on the rise. She is a first-year student at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, which is considered one of the nation’s best law schools.

“Sometimes a professor has a student that inspires that professor by the student’s commitment to achieve; Ms. Richardson was such a student for me,” professor Spielman said.

“It has been one of my best experiences in teaching to watch her grow from a shy, uncertain first year student to the confident, accomplished and mature young lady she has become.”

Dr. Good has her students digging biology When associate professor of biology Dr. Julie Good was brought on board in 2018 to build Indiana Tech’s new biology program, she stressed that her students would experience a “get-your-hands-dirty” style of learning.

Dr. Good’s students are finding out she is a professor of her word.

This semester in Dr. Good’s General Biology I laboratory (BIO 1340), the primary focus for her students has been a field study of earthworms.

During the second week of class, students built four-sided plywood containment boxes—roughly three-feet square by two-feet high—and buried them approximately six inches deep on an open lot on the southeast corner of the Coombs St.-Berry St. intersection. Trenches were dug to place the boxes down into the soil to prevent the horizontal movement of contained earthworms.

The scientific purpose of this exercise is for students to speciate as many worms as possible and, possibly, identify a species that is new to Allen County. On a deeper level, the work they do in this introductory course lays a critical foundation for experiential lab work that is to come throughout their studies at Indiana Tech.

“The students are challenged to ‘drive the bus’ in an environment full of ambiguity and uncertainty.

Employers tell us this is what they will experience in the professional world,” Dr. Good said. “I’ve provided approximately five protocols and they— within their lab group—have been responsible for setting a scientific goal; a coordination goal, which defined how the members were going to work together; and an operational goal, which defined what the group needed to do physically

with digging, moving, thinking, recording, data reporting and analyzing. They’ve done everything.”

Freshman O Wai Shar says Dr. Good’s lab experience has been fun, even though it’s involved close contact with worms.

“It’s definitely a unique experience as this is one of my first actual labs in college,” O Wai said.

“What has been useful for me is learning how to navigate through a lab like an actual scientist would do, as well as writing like they would.”

After spending six weeks in the field, each group began formal analysis of the data and preparing a lab report, which is due in early December. Dr. Good is working in other hands-on exercises throughout the semester to reinforce the scientific method and professional communication, but the culmination of the earthworm study is considered each group’s final.

Results of the lab varied based on the containment locations on the lot. As such, some groups had limited success for four weeks on the dig site, and have been forced to think outside the box to glean usable findings. For the groups who had more success early, changes in the weather and erosion of their site caused additional challenges to overcome. For all groups, the field work has been a valuable lesson.

“When it comes to true research or true patient care, it is ultimately problem solving. The successful professional must be able to think outside the box,” Dr. Good said. “Sometimes we need to drive our learning in unlikely places to arrive at discovery.”

Adjunct communication professor is named Indiana’s best sportswriter for 2019 Over the summer, Indiana Tech’s communication program announced that veteran Journal Gazette sportswriter, Justin Cohn, had joined the staff to teach sports communication.

In September, Cohn was named the best sportswriter in Indiana for 2019. Cohn, who has covered sports for the Fort Wayne daily newspaper since 1997, was named the Corky Lamm Sportswriter of the Year by the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

Cohn, 43, is best known in Fort Wayne for covering the Fort Wayne Komets, a minor-league hockey team that has called the city home since 1952, and the Mad Ants, the NBA G League minor-league affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. He was the paper’s Indianapolis Colts reporter for a decade, and covered four Super Bowls during that time. He has covered the NBA, MLB and PGA Tour in his career.

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Academic Roundup COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Adjunct professor writes about developing healthy financial habits In October, “Unlock Your Why: 7 Keys to a Thriving Relationship with Money,” a book by adjunct business professor Heather Burgette, was released on Amazon.

Burgette has taught undergraduate and graduate classes at Indiana Tech since 2010, and she worked in the Career Center for three years. She is also the founder of the Facebook group Becoming Debt Free.

Her book helps readers break their “unhealthy financial habits and discover the seven fundamental keys to a healthy, prosperous and thriving relationship with money.”

You can connect with Burgette on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and on her website heatherburgette.com.

Dyer’s sports marketing class teams up with Mad Ants Craig Dyer’s SM 4200-Sports Marketing class is working with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this semester on a ticket sales initiative that will be a win-win for students and the NBA minor league basketball team.

Students from Indiana Tech, Trine University and Manchester University are gaining valuable, real-world experience selling tickets for selected games during the Mad Ants current NBA G League season. The student from each university who sells the most tickets during this initiative will earn a guaranteed job interview with the Mad Ants.

“One student from Indiana Tech will ‘win’ the contest and get an interview, but all the students in the class are gaining real-world sport sales and marketing experience through this project. That is what excites me,” said Dyer, who is the lead of the university’s sports management program.

Mad Ants senior business development manager and 2014 Indiana Tech graduate, Allie Lane, met with students beginning in late-August to provide training and direction. From there, students were free to begin selling—either over the phone or in person.

“Allie has personally visited our classroom on multiple occasions. She has assisted students with cold-calling skills, explained the Mad Ants sales approach, and really provided students with guidance and confidence that is needed to be successful. I’m very grateful for Allie and her commitment to our students and this project,” professor Dyer said.

In addition to selling tickets, professor Dyer is requiring his students to create a sales portfolio comprised of a sales prospect list, a cold-call script, call log sheets and a sales report. His in-class culmination of this project will end with each student delivering a professional presentation that summarizes their sales numbers and highlights achievements and challenges. The student with the highest marks will ultimately ‘win’ the contest.

“The Mad Ants are committed to our local community, and this is just one of the many ways we can integrate our brand to promote fun, competitive educational opportunities,” Lane said. “Also, as a Tech alum, it’s great being able to engage with students and faculty, share my expertise and hopefully inspire my fellow Warriors.”

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants have been a member of the G League (known as the NBA Development League from 2005 through 2017) since 2007.

Photo by Cary Gerber

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University now offering graduate certificate in organizational leadership Indiana Tech’s College of Business is giving students another way to set themselves apart from their competition by offering a graduate certificate in Organizational Leadership.

The five-course, 15-credit hour sequence will not only help students expand their leadership skill sets, it will also take them nearly halfway to the required 36 credits needed to earn a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership.

“In earning this certificate in Organizational Leadership, students will build their competencies in leadership, financial management, problem analysis and decision making, and developing human capital,” said Dr. Kathleen Hanold Watland, dean of the College of Business. “The certificate in Organizational Leadership will help students become more effective leaders within their organizations and help them become more marketable professionals.”

The Organizational Leadership graduate certificate joins Indiana Tech’s other graduate certificate programs including: à Health Care Administration à Human Resources Management à Management à Marketing

The university’s project management certificate became even more impactful when, in June, the university’s project management program was recognized by the Project Management Institute as a Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.).

Expect Indiana Tech to continue working to identify learning opportunities that will enable students to grow professionally using delivery methods that meet their needs. In fact, the university is developing a Master of Business Administration, concentrating in business analytics, and a graduate certificate in business analytics for launch in 2020. In addition, the university plans to launch a portfolio of undergraduate certificates, as well.

“It’s becoming more and more important for employees to bring a measurable value to their workplace,” Dr. Watland said. “We will continue to work with employers to learn what top skills are important to them and build academic programming that will allow our graduates to stand out.”

à Project Management

Sports management program puts another grad in the big leagues In July 2019, just a couple of months after graduating with a bachelor’s in business administration concentrating in sports management, Lukas Brant accepted a job as inside sales executive with the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Clippers.

a student ambassador; and a member of the Scholar Leaders, the Sports Management Society and the Student Executive Board—all while earning academic accolades from Daktronics, the Alpha Chi Honor Society member and the Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honor Society.

Lukas works with businesses and individual consumers to help them meet their ticketing needs—an entry-level position that requires a lot of tenacity and self-prospecting to be successful.

However, Lukas is used to having several irons in the fire while maintaining a high level of achievement.

“Lukas’ academic abilities were always all-star level and I know he will do the same level of work for the Clippers organization,” said Craig Dyer, associate professor of sports management. “I’m very happy for him and look forward to hearing more about his success in the near future.”

At Indiana Tech, Lukas was a double major; a runner for the Warriors’ cross country team;

Over the next year, Lukas will train closely with his managers with the hope of moving up in the Clippers organization.

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Academic Roundup COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Togashi tapped to lead cybersecurity program to new heights What do Marriott, Equifax, Target and Sony all have in common? Aside from being distinguished companies in their respective industries, all have endured debilitating cyberattacks that have negatively affected their businesses, damaged their reputations and cost them millions of dollars to remediate.

As cyberattacks become more and more common, corporations are searching for the best and the brightest minds in cybersecurity to help them defend their digital infrastructure.

Indiana Tech is already a launching pad for outstanding cyber defenders. Its cyber defense team, the Cyber Warriors, is nationally known on a collegiate level, having won nine state titles—including five straight. Now, the university is looking to Darryl Togashi to strengthen its cybersecurity degree program and raise it to new heights.

Professor Togashi was hired over the summer as director of Indiana Tech’s cybersecurity

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program. He brings to the position more than 20 years of industry experience, which includes building servers; developing websites, databases and applications; managing and securing networks; and leading international projects.

He has taught since 2005 and, over the last four years, has trained his focus on cybersecurity.

Through his expertise, Professor Togashi has become a member of Indiana Governor’s Council on Cybersecurity and an Infragard Member in the education sector for Indiana.

“Darryl contacted me last spring about collaborating on some academic projects. As we talked about these, I outlined the direction that Tech was heading in cybersecurity, especially in developing a state-of-the-art Security Operations Center (SOC). His enthusiasm for this was quite evident which was the first important step in considering him to lead this project,” said Gary Messick, associate dean of the university’s College of Engineering and School of Computer Sciences. “As our discussions continued, I learned that Darryl puts in the time and effort to bring a project to a successful conclusion. He does not shy away from challenging work.”

An SOC is a training center built from hardware and software that will allow students to monitor and identify devices and traffic on our network and give them the ability to see and learn from unusual activity that would be considered a hack or violation of company security policies. This

isolated lab would allow students to perform ethical hacking, network penetration tests and cyber defense activities, without triggering alarms in our production network.

Developing a world-class SOC is just one of the many changes professor Togashi wants to accomplish over the next two years.

“We are adding classes to the program to help fill some of the gaps identified by local and national companies that we have talked to in helping us understand what we need to do to bridge the gaps between education and industry,” professor Togashi said. “Along with additional classes, our enhancements will include building new labs and workspaces for our students to have hands-on experience where they can experience real-life scenarios and challenges.”

Those new labs and workspaces include: à A digital forensics lab, where simulated crime scenes can be created to give students practice at incident response and digital forensics investigation techniques. à A data center, which can be used for our cybersecurity program and other departments within the School of Computer Sciences. Professors will be able to create customizable virtual environments to give our students another hands-on environment to learn from.

Seeing + doing = learning in Canales’ lean manufacturing class Lean manufacturing is the study of the principles and practices used to identify and minimize non-value-added activities present in the manufacturing environment. The goal is creating production efficiencies and reducing waste while maintaining a safe work environment. The principles and practices involved require repetition to fully understand and discipline to execute with efficacy, regardless if you are in management or on the assembly line.

“The opportunity to focus on cybersecurity and be involved in building a security operations center and a digital forensics lab appealed to me,” professor Togashi said. “The plan is to grow our cybersecurity program to be nationally recognized as a viable program.”

Earning a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) designation will be a huge first step.

The CAE-CDE program is sponsored jointly by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). When a university has a CAE-CDE designation, it means its curriculum meets NSA and DHS standards, which are based on helping prepare cybersecurity professionals to meet industry gaps in our national infrastructure.

Designated CAE-CDE schools are also eligible for grants from the Department of Defense Cybersecurity Program, the National Science Foundation and Scholarship for Service programs. These grants can be used for further program enhancement.

Professor Togashi indicated Indiana Tech has applied for CAE-CDE designation and should know the results in 2020.

That’s why the 16 weeks of Peggy Canales’ IME 4020-Lean Manufacturing class is a flurry of activity that incorporates observation and hands-on implementation so that students can become familiar with the many facets of lean manufacturing.

Always a staple of professor Canales IME 4020 curriculum is a field trip to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK).

The Georgetown, Kentucky-based facility is Toyota’s largest vehicle manufacturing plant in the world—annually capable of producing 550,000 vehicles and more than 600,000 engines—and it employs more than 8,000 workers. Toyota’s vehicle production system has developed into a world-class display of lean manufacturing that is studied all over the globe.

On Oct. 3, 17 students from the College of Engineering made the trek to Georgetown.

“I found the experience very valuable,” said Jithu Paulose, who is pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering Management at Tech. “The visit provided me with a better understanding of the concepts that I learned from the lean manufacturing class.”

Fundamental to lean manufacturing is the concept of continuous improvement. To develop a mindset of focused continuous

improvement, kata is introduced. Kata is a pattern one practices to learn a skill and mindset. Through practice, the pattern of a kata becomes second nature—done with little conscious attention—and is readily available.

To convey the concept of kata, professor Canales uses a puzzle exercise to give students practice in achieving incremental improvements. Students assemble into teams and are tasked with a challenge condition to complete the puzzle in 15 seconds.

Each group records how much time it took to complete its first attempt. Based on this experience, the students now understand their current condition. They then break the challenge condition down into smaller goals. They conduct experiments, using different methods, to find ways to improve their assembly time. After each experiment, they record their new current condition and establish a new target condition along with a new experiment they will implement to try to achieve it. Each team gets five rounds to achieve the challenge condition.

“There are discussions between each round where we use Socratic questioning to develop a greater understanding of what was learned with each experiment,” professor Canales said. “This aligns closely with story boards that are used to track projects in the workplace, and it teaches the students coaching skills for encouraging workers while ensuring each worker still retains ownership of the project.”

“The exercise helped me learn the importance of trying new things and failing quickly in order to get to a better solution,” said senior industrial and manufacturing engineering major Amarra Paulk.

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ATHLETIC ROUNDUP Sports News Athletics honored for 2018-19 academic efforts Former Indiana Tech wrestler Erique Early was named the Sooner Athletic Conference’s 2018-19 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men’s wrestling. Early capped off his Indiana Tech career in March by capturing the 133-pound national championship at the NAIA National Championships.

Stevenson Named NAIA National SID of the Year In September, Indiana Tech’s Sports Information Director Tyler Stevenson was honored as the NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year for 2019. The honor based on the accomplishments during the previous year in the areas of athletics communication, sports information, promotion and service to the NAIA. Stevenson is in his fourth year as Indiana Tech’s SID and a two-time WolverineHoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) SID of the Year.

“It is a great honor and very humbling to be named the NAIA SID of the Year,” reflected Stevenson. “It’s a special group of SIDs that make up the NAIA and to be on the list of national award winners is truly mind blowing and incredible, and I could not do it without all the other SIDs across the NAIA or without the support from my family and the entire Indiana Tech athletics department.”

“Tyler is a caring, hardworking professional who is a true asset to Indiana Tech,” said Tech athletics director Debbie Warren. “He is a wonderful person to have as a friend and a colleague, and we could not be more proud of him.”

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à The Indiana Tech women’s track and field program earned a bevy of honors from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Highlighting the honors was freshman Destiny Copeland (hurdling in photo), who, with her 3.84 GPA, was named the Women’s Indoor Field Scholar-Athlete. Joining Copeland on the USTFCCCA All-Academic list were KiMaya Houston, Shakirah Kellam, Mary Leighton, Hayley Newman, Pamela Sanders-Booker, Renique Smith, Sha’londa Terry and Megan Theismann.

The program also garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic Team status for both the indoor and outdoor season with a cumulative GPA of 3.2395

à Indiana Tech women’s soccer received a United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2018-19 season. The Warriors finished the 2018-19 academic year with a 3.52 team GPA. à The Indiana Tech Department of Athletics picked up a bevy of academic awards over the summer and sported a 3.12 grade point average during the 2018-19 season. The following Indiana Tech teams were named NAIA Scholar-Teams: Baseball, Men’s Bowling, Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Golf, Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Soccer, Men’s Tennis, Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, Softball, Women’s Basketball, Women’s Bowling, Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Golf, Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field and Women’s Volleyball.

à Indiana Tech men’s soccer received a United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2018-19 season. The Warriors finished the 2018-19 academic year with a 3.35 team GPA.

Athletics earns NAIA Champions of Character Gold Status The Indiana Tech Department of Athletics was honored by the NAIA as a Gold Level Five Star institution for the 2018-2019 academic year as part of the Champions of Character program. It was one of 180 member institutions to garner the honor and one of 63 schools to earn gold status.

It is the third consecutive year in which the department has earned the highest level on the Champions of Character scorecard.

Institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character and earned points in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion.

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2018-19 National Champions honored at All-Athlete Meeting

2020 Hall of Fame Class announced Indiana Tech’s Department of Athletics has announced its 2020 Hall of Fame Class, which will be inducted on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at Don Hall’s Guesthouse in Fort Wayne. Time of the ceremony is to be determined.

The 2020 class, Indiana Tech’s 22nd overall, is comprised of the 1969 men’s volleyball team, the 1991-92 women’s basketball team, men’s basketball player Dwayne Tubbs and softball player Jessica Williams.

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National champions from the 2018-19 season were honored and presented with their national champion rings during August’s annual All-Athlete Meeting in the Schaefer Center. Those honored were: A. Sawyer Miller and Erique Early (men’s wrestling), Leondra Correia and Destiny Copeland (women’s track and field) B. The men’s ice hockey team C. The men’s indoor track and field team

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Early represents Team USA at world wrestling event Indiana Tech men’s wrestling assistant coach Gralan Early (third from left in photo) finished third in the freestyle 70kg division at October’s 2019 United World Wrestling Veterans World Championships. Early earned a bronze medal for Team USA in the event, which was at Tbilisi, Georgia. Early went 4-1 on the final day of action at the championships and capped off his tournament with a pin over Teimurazi Kasoshvili of Georgia in the third-place match. Early started his tournament with a pair of wins, first with a 10-0 technical fall to defeat Serkan Sen of Turkey in 59 seconds before handing Germany’s Steve Brylla an 8-2 decision. The nine-year assistant for Tech fell in the quarterfinals to Mohsen Sameti of Iran, but came back strong with a 6-3 win over Aslan Kaitov of Russia to advance to the bronze medal bout.

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PATH OF A WARRIOR From the Desk of Matt Brown

“ The stories you have shared continue

HELPING TO SHAPE THE FUTURE Please allow me to introduce myself to all of you. In July, I joined the Institutional Advancement team as Director of Alumni Relations after 10 years teaching English at the high school level. Even in my absence as I taught in Indianapolis for two years and South Carolina for four, I have called Fort Wayne my home. Since the very first days walking up and down these campus sidewalks, in and out of the various buildings on campus, and meeting faculty, students, staff and alumni across generations, one thing is apparent: This place has reinforced that this town is my home.

The stories of success and overcoming adversity that I’ve heard in a few short months have been nothing short of inspiring.

The stories you have shared continue to allow me to learn about the history of this university, the far-reaching influences you’ve had on industry, development and innovation, and the directions we are all heading in the very near future. I was given immense insight into the historic “Tech Legacy” and utterly palpable “Warrior Pride” that comes along with being associated with the university.

Please keep those stories coming! Send them my direction at mjbrown@indianatech.edu.

HOMECOMING ’19 This past October, it was humbling to meet so many generations of alumni and to hear your stories that brought each of you to, through and beyond Indiana Tech. There were innumerable tales of progeny, prosperity and passion that filled the entire weekend from Friday night’s President’s Dinner to celebrate our leadership donors to the sounding of the final horn of Sunday’s women’s alumni soccer game in the heart of campus.

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to allow me to learn about the history of this university, the far-reaching influences you’ve had on industry, development and innovation, and the directions we are all heading in the very near future.”

Graduates as recent as the summer of 2019 and as far back as the 1950s came together in fellowship to share their Tech stories, each attesting to the impressive improvements this university has seen. Some alumni I had the privilege of meeting had not been back to campus since their graduation from the old stand-alone Indiana Technical College building downtown. There was a genuine sense of awe for how much Indiana Tech has grown across this campus and city.

To view photos from the weekend’s activities for current students and their families and alumni alike, please visit ind.tc/ homecoming-2019.

COME ON HOME! As we begin to plan for 2020’s Homecoming and Family & Friends Weekend Celebration, next Oct. 1-4, I encourage you to come share in the experience of it all. We will be honoring graduates of 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2010. Be sure to visit indianatech.edu/ homecoming soon for updates as we get closer.

Also be on the lookout for save the date and email reminders of upcoming alumni updates.

In the meantime, please stay in touch!

Share your family updates, career changes, celebrations or ideas for Tech in Your Town and alumni outing events with me at mjbrown@indianatech.edu.

Go Warriors!

ALUMNI NOTES We love to feature updates from our Indiana Tech alumni. Did you get a new job? Were you promoted? Did you retire? Maybe you’re celebrating a special anniversary, wedding or welcoming a child to your family. We want to celebrate you! Email alumni notes you wish to share to mjbrown@indianatech.edu and you can see them featured in the magazine!

All’s fair in love and lacrosse Carlos and Alexa Matta (Winter)—2016 Indiana Tech graduates and former Warrior lacrosse players—aren’t exactly using their degrees, but they are using their time at Tech, the lessons they learned in and out of the classroom, and their experiences on and off the lacrosse field to build lives in their dream careers.

Introduced to one another by criminal justice classmates and lacrosse teammates, Carlos and Alexa were engaged on the home lacrosse field in April 2016 and were married a short time later.

After graduation the two spent three years on the golden coasts of California, traveling, coaching and taking in frequent trips to the beach. She, a paralegal with Weitz & Luxenberg, P. C. in Los Angeles, and he, an aerospace engineer assistant at Stravsys, decided it was time to return to the Midwest to be closer to friends and family.

In preparation for returning home, they both noticed that Lourdes (Sylvania, Ohio) and Siena Heights (Adrian, Michigan) had openings for fulltime lacrosse coaches. Both applied, thinking, “How little the chances.” Not long after, each heard back with offers from the respective

schools. Both accepted—Alexa is now the head women’s lacrosse coach at Siena Heights University and Carlos is the assistant men’s lacrosse coach at Lourdes. While they won’t be competing against one another directly, they both agree it will be tough playing against Indiana Tech, their alma mater.

Her new role with ABB as Human Resources Business Partner allows her to oversee 350 employees in a company of more than 150,000 stretched worldwide. She was drawn to the company for the growth opportunities, focus training and the ability to strategize and execute in her position.

A funny note of coincidence—Carlos proposed to Alexa following the final home game of her college career. The Warriors’ opponent that evening was Siena Heights.

While she doesn’t love the Arkansas heat, she does enjoy the warmth of southern hospitality throughout. She’s stated that everyone is incredibly welcoming so long as “you cheer for the right football team and can name the church you attend.” She looks to return to the Alumni Board in the future.

Ashley Benvenuti: Adjusting to new role at ABB It is never easy pulling up stakes and leaving a place one has called home for so long. After eight years in Fort Wayne, alumna Ashley Benvenuti recently took a step back from her duties as Indiana Tech Alumni Board president and a step out into a new world to establish roots in her new role at ABB Electrical in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Ashley graduated from Indiana Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration concentrating in human resources in 2015 and completed her MBA from Tech in 2017.

In addition: •

Rashaam Hill, B.S. in Accounting, 2018, became a staff accountant at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne.

•

Emily Streahle, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, 2016, was promoted to malaria coordinator at Peace Corps.

•

Koran Saines, B.S. in Business AdministrationHuman Resources, 2003, was re-elected to his seat as a Loudoun County Virginia Supervisor in the Tuesday, Nov. 5, election.

Keep us connected!

Your stories are what make Indiana Tech proud—and we want to hear from you! Share your successes, update your information, learn about the Alumni Association and find ways to connect with your peers, friends and faculty members on our website at Alumni.IndianaTech.edu.

You can also email your updates to Alumni@IndianaTech.edu.

Indiana Tech Alumni Group

@IndianaTechAlum

Indiana Institute of Technology Indiana Tech Magazine

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Making a Difference: Blaise Alexander Blaise Alexander’s latest investment is less about his personal or professional growth, and more about giving Indiana Tech students an opportunity to achieve their own.

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ith assistance from a generous donation, a dozen Indiana Tech students spent the 2019 fall semester in Florence, Italy, allowing for the entire city to serve as their classroom. While there, students immersed themselves in art, music, architecture, history and more.

“You can’t explain it: it’s indescribable what one takes away from it. Travel changes you and everyone around you,” said Mr. Alexander as he reflected on the impact traveling abroad has had and continues to have on him.

Now, an immensely successful owner of Chevrolet dealerships in Pennsylvania, Mr. Alexander reflected on his own experiences with international travel, and he has high hopes that the students on this “truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” will have their eyes opened to the world and their potential impact in it.

“You can learn so much about yourself, people and the world just by visiting someplace else.

People are different everywhere. Travel opens us up to an entirely different world,” Mr. Alexander said.

His own travels have taken him all across Europe, to countries like France, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and numerous others. And, each time he takes something new away from his travels. Whether it be the cuisine, the accessibility of virtually anything and any place or simply the ancient or historic feel of a place, he appreciates it all.

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As for the reason Mr. Alexander chose Italy as the destination for his participation, he shared that he was first introduced to the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci by his wife, Gabriela, and was simply amazed by it all.

“It was like a throwback to a simpler time,” he said. “The pacing is slower and so much more relaxed than here in America. People are quiet, but incredibly friendly.”

When asked why he felt inspired to give so generously to make this study-abroad opportunity possible, he stated very openly, “Because I could— because I wanted to do something for the place I spent four great years.”

Mr. Alexander attended Indiana Tech, but he endured a severe skull fracture while participating in intramurals that prevented him from obtaining his undergraduate degree.

“I might not have graduated from Tech, but I got an education here. It wasn’t about getting that piece of paper at the end; my education was about more than that.”

The “more” for Mr. Alexander was learning about responsibility, management and independence—concepts he hopes the students will better understand after studying abroad in Italy.

“

You can learn so much about yourself, people and the world just by visiting someplace else...

Travel opens us up to an entirely different world.

“

— BLAISE ALEXANDER

Former Indiana Tech student and active friend of the university, Blaise Alexander, is a successful owner of Chevrolet dealerships in Pennsylvania.

READ ABOUT STUDENTS WHO HAVE TRAVELED TO FLORENCE THANKS TO MR. ALEXANDER’S GENEROSITY

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Vienna

Florence, Italy is distinguished as one of the most cultural and historical cities in the world.

Home to a bounty of amazing architecture and places of significance, this city is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance—the period in European history between the 14th and 17th centuries that marks the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity.

A Semester in Florence

Florence

Adriatic Sea

Italy Rome

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or the first semester of the 2019-20 academic year, Florence also served as the classroom for 12 Indiana Tech students who studied abroad. During their time in this magnificent city, our Warrior scholartravelers took courses in world history, art appreciation, music appreciation, and Italian life and culture. Each student was required to summarize his or her Florence learning experience with a capstone project. Steve Malloris, associate professor of English, served as the faculty advisor on the trip.

Students also participated in activities that complemented the university’s learning objectives for this study-abroad opportunity. Those activities included: à Weekly cultural programming that consisted of cooking classes, an opera, a soccer match, concerts, walking tours and entrance to various churches and museums in Florence. à A full-day trip to the Chianti region. à A full-day trip to Siena and San Gimignano. à An extended trip to Rome that included a guided tour of ancient Rome, the Coliseum and the Vatican Museums.

At right, you can meet some of the students who took part in this remarkable opportunity. You can also follow their experiences here: academics.indianatech.edu/ beyond/study-abroad/florence-2019

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Naples

Tyrrhenian Sea

MAKAYLEE BANUELOS

MCKENNA MESCLIER

CHRISTINA WYNN

à Major: Business Administration-Management; Minor: Humanities

à Major: Business Administration-Human Resources; Minor: Humanities

à Major: Communication; Minor: Humanities

I hope to gain real-world knowledge and skills I can take with me after college. I hope to gain a more open mind about humans in general, and try to learn why people act or do the things they do. As a business student, I hope to gain better networking skills. While being here I am volunteering at Ronald McDonald House, so I hope to gain great experience to add to my resume, for my dream is to one day manage a non-profit organization.

Studying in Florence this semester allows me to fully appreciate the Italian culture, reflect on American culture and most importantly, self-reflect. I am learning just as much about myself as I am learning in my classes. Through this experience, I hope to learn how to adapt to new lifestyles, question what is “normal” and see the ways history influences my daily life.

I love to learn about different cultures. I enjoy immersing myself in new places and getting lost.

Talking to strangers is not always a bad thing; it’s how I’ve survived here in Italy. This trip relates to my major by allowing me to learn about crossculture communication firsthand. I am also learning about the Italian language such as the differences in nonverbal communication compared to the States. Studying abroad is helping me be more independent and learn about myself.

OTHER STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THIS STUDY-ABROAD EXPERIENCE ARE: à Amy Love-Augustus à Rachel Maxwell à Johan Nowak KELLY HAYS

MAYA NICHOLSON

à Kimberly Pieske

à Major: Computer Science; Minor: Humanities

à Pursuing: Master of Science in Organizational Leadership

à George Roberts

I pursued this opportunity because I love to travel and experience different cultures. I also hope to gain a better understanding of other cultures to compare them to the lifestyle and culture in different parts of the United States.

This opportunity resonated with me because it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially since I am pursuing an MSOL and have my undergrad degree in criminal justice. It gives me a chance to explore how people and businesses do things in different parts of the world. I am also interested in exploring how the law works in Italy as far as what crimes are being committed and how they are handled.

à Alyssa Wicker à Abbey Wilson

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PATH OF A WARRIOR Alumni Spotlight

STANLEY PUSKARZ Stan Puskarz recounts a time he was in the office of Dr. Ivan Planck, the head of the mechanical engineering program, at a time when Indiana Tech was known as Indiana Technical College.

IT

was 1958, and Stan, a Bristol, Connecticut native, had recently gotten married to Shirley Sue Roberts, a local girl he met during his time in Fort Wayne. And, as Stan puts it, “Dr. Planck was trying to keep me here in spite of me trying to flunk out.”

Then-president Archie T. Keene joined in on the meeting and added his two cents. “President Keene told me, ‘Stan, I can see why you want to spend all your time at home—you’ve got yourself a real pretty bride. But, we’ve got to get you back on track,’ ” Stan said.

And get back on track is most certainly what Stan did. He graduated the following year with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and began a remarkable career that has seen him earn leadership roles at companies all over the United States and allowed him to travel the world.

His accomplishments include being on the teams that invented the pop-top lid for beverage cans and the screw-off lid for beverage bottles.

Throughout his career, Stan acquired patents on shrink wrap machines, capping machines, filling

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machines and gear drives. As a result, his teams were always sought after for being on the leading edge of canning, filling and packaging technology.

In fact, his expertise was tapped on a consultancy level by some of the nation’s top breweries.

Stan’s final career move came in 1989 when he became part owner and vice president of engineering at Fowler Products in Athens, Georgia. Fowler is known as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-performance capping machinery. While there, Stan earned the 1995 Engineer of the Year in Private Practice Award from the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers. He retired from Fowler Products in 2001.

In 2002, the Stanley and Shirley Puskarz Scholarship was established at Indiana Tech for freshmen students pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. Recently, Stan was back on campus for Homecoming 2019 weekend.

For the spry 82-year-old retiree, it’s always good to get back to Fort Wayne.

“Indiana Tech was the foundation for everything.

The professors were better than anyone could

have ever imagined. There were some really top-notch people here,” Stan said. “My very first job was with Ideal Electric and Manufacturing Company of Mansfield, Ohio.

A guy from Ideal came to Indiana Tech looking for engineers. I interviewed with him and it all fell into place and it was because of what I learned here at Indiana Tech.”

Stan and Shirley celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary on May 24, 2019. They have two daughters and homes in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

TECH IN YOUR TOWN A

THE EAST COAST TOUR 4 locations, 5 days This past summer, Dr. and Mrs. Einolf and the institutional advancement team made stops up and down the Eastern Seaboard to meet with alumni hailing from and around Bethesda and Baltimore, Maryland; Towaco, New Jersey; and New York, New York. Each of these visits included amazing food, friendship and information about Indiana Tech and its growing programs. With graduates celebrating 50 years since their time at Tech to those fresh from this year’s summer commencement, familiar faces were aplenty. Traditional program grads, CPS program students, MBA graduates and Alumni Board members all took the opportunity for a night with their alma mater.

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A

“TECH ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME” Aug. 29, 2019 The alumni event at Slugger Field in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, has become a budding tradition for Dr. and Mrs. Einolf and the advancement team. More than 100 satellite campus families, alumni and friends of Tech were treated to a welcome reception and tickets to the Louisville Bats home game. Tech “Go for IT” t-shirts and Warrior logoembroidered hats were given out to each attendee to help showcase our reach into the Derby City and beyond.

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THE CANTON TECH-SPERIENCE Aug. 19, 2019 What better way to start the fall season of Tech in Your Town visits than a stop in the city that hosts the NFL Hall of Fame? Held at the Arrowhead Golf Club and Event Center and hosted by Don ’59 and Sally King, this Tech in Your Town event welcomed alumni from stretching back to the 1960s.

Dr. and Mrs. Einolf shared information and answered candid questions about Tech’s Century of Excellence, enrollment numbers and growth, and exciting new programs.

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IN MEMORIAM We have learned of the deaths of the following alumni and friends. If you would like to send a memorial gift to honor someone, please contact Dan Grigg at 800.937.2448, ext. 2440.

James L. Dentico Miami Shores, FL Electrical Engineering, 1967

Jerome J. Salter Kersey, PA Mechanical Engineering, 1961

Donald R. Duff Baton Rouge, LA Electrical Engineering, 1966

Edward J. Smart Valparaiso, IN Mechanical Engineering, 1961

W. H. Cairnes Melbourne, FL Radio Engineering, 1952

Ronald L. Smith Glendale, AZ Mechanical Engineering, 1959

John D. Barth Schererville, IN Civil Engineering, 1952

Terrence J. Gleave Fort Wayne, IN Civil Engineering, 1968

Howard W. Pascoe Whitney Point, NY Radio Engineering, 1953

Donald A. Sweatland Warsaw, IN Mechanical Engineering, 1958

Michael J. Galley Nazareth, PA Civil Engineering, 1951

Samuel T. Uhler Asbury, NJ Civil Engineering, 1961

LaBrent A. Poole Indianapolis, IN Business Administration, 2017

Richard M. Spooner Pasadena, MD Mechanical Engineering, 1954

Philip M. Gustin Yuma, AZ Civil Engineering, 1956

Howard G. Mongold Kernersville, NC Electrical Engineering, 1977

Scott W. Wilson Muncie, IN Business Administration, 2003

Richard E. Valley Kershaw, SC Mechanical Engineering, 1950

David G. Harrington Statesville, NC Civil Engineering, 1960

Joseph Mandel East Northport, NY Electrical Engineering, 1968

James L. Hebb Youngstown, OH Business Administration, 1990

Thomas L. Bradford Burns, TN Mechanical Engineering, 1958

Rudolf W. Hellmold Orange Park, FL Civil Engineering, 1961

Billy Wilson Melbourne, FL Electrical Engineering, 1958

Robert O. Wright Claremore, OK Chemical Engineering, 1949

Robert F. Burns Juno Beach, FL Mechanical Engineering, 1956

Andrew J. Dutka Glastonbury, CT Civil Engineering, 1951

James F. Stumpf Brooklyn, NY Electrical Engineering, 1960

Kazimierz R. Szczepaniak Joliet, IL Chemical Engineering, 1959

Paul E. Baloga Altadena, CA Mechanical Engineering, 1947

Bernard C. Nick Stonington, CT Civil Engineering, 1952

Harold E. Sutlief Auburn, WA Electrical Engineering, 1949

Elmer W. Rehme Johns Island, SC Chemical Engineering, 1934

Herbert G. McKen Anderson, IN Mechanical Engineering, 1960

Albert J. Roy Springfield, IL Civil Engineering, 1957

Stanley J. Ryckman Mansfield, OH Electrical Engineering, 1949

Denver C. Howard Andrews, IN Chemical Engineering, 1948

Thomas McSpedon Fort Myers, FL Mechanical Engineering, 1956

William J. Szymanski South Burlington, VT Civil Engineering, 1956

Donald J. Snyder Phoenix, AZ Electrical Engineering, 1961

Gerald A. LaCanne Chesterland, OH Chemical Engineering, 1950

James A. Milnes Nashville, IN Mechanical Engineering, 1960

Joseph A. Tighe Howell, NJ Civil Engineering, 1957

Byron V. Parshall South Bend, IN Electrical Engineering, 1962

Donalda A. Strous-Ostrander Circleville, OH Leisure Studies, 1983

Jack Mitchell Prescott, AZ Mechanical Engineering, 1954

Lawrence S. Turchick Long Beach, CA Civil Engineering, 1959

Robert J. Kosiarek Fort Wayne, IN Electrical Engineering, 1962

Richard G. Demato Fort Wayne, IN Mechanical Engineering, 1968

James B. Putterbaugh Fort Myers, FL Mechanical Engineering, 1959

Thomas H. Williams Maryland, NY Civil Engineering, 1960

G. M. Croney Bend, OR Electrical Engineering, 1961

Joseph Reitblatt Wilmington, NC Mechanical Engineering, 1955

Richard J. Rajchel Fort Wayne, IN Mechanical Engineering, 1959

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Walter L. Koinzan Elgin, NE Mechanical Engineering, 1958 Paul J. Parker Alpharetta, GA Mechanical Engineering, 1965 Charles A. Lindabury Columbus, OH Aeronautical Engineering, 1941 Richard E. Knight Stow, OH Aeronautical Engineering, 1943 Norman L. Baker Southport, NC Aeronautical Engineering, 1956 James J. Putrich Joliet, IL Aerospace Engineering, 1967 Quinton E. Pierson Niskayuna, NY Aerospace Engineering, 1974 Thomas P. Sodano Fort Wayne, IN Mathematics, 1960 George Thomas Johnstown, NY Electronic Engineering, 1956 Joseph E. Boone Noblesville, IN Electronic Engineering, 1960 Lyle A. Fajen Scottsdale, AZ Electronic Engineering, 1959 Harlow B. Olson Ventura, CA Electronic Engineering, 1958

Remembering Dick Duke On Monday, Oct. 21, the Warrior community said farewell to Richard Byron “Dick” Duke, who passed away at Golden Living Center in Kokomo, Indiana, surrounded by family members.

Dick was well-known as the voice of Warrior athletics for several years and he was inducted into Indiana Tech’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 for his announcing contributions to the program.

In a university capacity, the Peru, Indiana, native was longtime director of Indiana Tech’s Research & Development Lab, and he served on the university’s operating committee under President Thomas Scully.

He remained an avid supporter of Indiana Tech throughout his life.

Eugene Pomatto Ladson, SC Electronic Engineering, 1959 Alvin D. Massey Bluffton, IN Accounting, 2005

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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

1600 EAST WASHINGTON BLVD FORT WAYNE, INDIANA 46803

FORT WAYNE, IN PERMIT NO. 159

SAVE THESE DATES Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Saturday, May 2, 2020; time TBA Don Hall’s Guesthouse, Fort Wayne Graduate Commencement Friday, May 8, 2020; 7 p.m.

Schaefer Center, Indiana Tech Undergraduate Commencement Saturday, May 9, 2020; 10:30 a.m.

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Homecoming and Family Weekend 2020 Oct. 1-4, 2020 Indiana Tech

Remember This?

While on a recent dig through the archives of the McMillen Library, Indiana Tech Magazine came across the design of the first class ring offered to students after the university moved to its current home from its original site in the 200 block of East Washington Blvd.

Those designs appeared in the Sept. 20, 1957, issue of the Indiana Technician, the former newspaper of the university. The ring was designed by Jostens and it features the iconic spire of Schick Hall and icons that represented the six engineering fields that were offered at the time.

The design of this ring is absolutely remarkable, and we would love to see pictures of it. What’s more, we would love to see photos of all class ring variations that have been offered by Indiana Tech during its nearly 90 years of existence.

So, please take a couple seconds to snap some shots of your Indiana Tech class ring and email them to Matt Brown, direction of alumni relations, at mjbrown@indianatech.edu. We’ll share every variation we receive in the next issue of Indiana Tech Magazine.