Tech Happenings
Annual Convocation Focuses on Tradition Indiana Tech has been steadily increasing campus activities and establishing new traditions in recent years, and this year’s convocation theme, “Tradition Begins with Me,” alluded to those new traditions. The ceremonial event on August 31 opened with Dr. Dennis J. Gayle, vice president of academic affairs, welcoming students to the new academic year and encouraging them to strive for their highest personal goals and ambitions. President Arthur Snyder addressed the topic of tradition, likening the Indiana Tech community to a family with memories built around rituals and events that have special meanings. “It’s a cliché—or maybe just a tradition—to say that your college years will be the most memorable years of your lives. But it’s true,” he told the crowd of students. “This is your university, and this is your time. Be an active participant in shaping the traditions that will define your college years.” Gayle then introduced a new tradition of having a distinguished alum speak at the annual convocation. This year’s speaker was Irvin J. Kontowsky, who earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering management technology at Indiana Tech in 1994 and returned to earn an MBA in 2000. He is currently warehouse and shipping manager at Omega Plastics Corporation in Elkhart, Ind.
Alum Irvin J. Kontowsky
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Kontowsky reflected on being an average student in high school, getting by on minimal effort, and realizing that wouldn’t work in college. He credited Dean Russell Primrose, former dean of the College of Engineering, with helping him get on the right track. “He made me realize how important the role of planning is in personal and professional life,” Kontowsky said. He advised students to have a plan for reaching their goals. “And your goal right now is college— graduating college.” Each year’s convocation closes with the Leepoxy Plastics Award for Teaching Innovation, established by Larry Lee, owner of Leepoxy Plastics and member of the Indiana Tech Board of Trustees. The 2010 winner was Susan McGrade, associate professor of English. McGrade has been a full-time faculty member since 2002, and her achievements include helping to establish the Tech Rewards program to encourage student participation in campus activities; co-organizing the 2004 Symposium on Relationshipbased Education; acting as a faculty advisor in the Tech LEADS program; and contributing to the success of the university’s study abroad program. Indiana Tech began holding an annual convocation in 2007 as a means to gather students, faculty, and staff together to address a topic relevant to personal and professional development.