Hicks’ academic record puts her former school’s success into perspective. She finished fourth out of 43 students, despite amassing a 4.5 grade point average, a product of a weighted grading scale.

“Grades were extremely important to a lot of people in our class,” Hicks explained. “It was extremely competitive, but here’s the crazy part: Our top 11 had over a 4.0.”

It was no wonder that the 18-year-old had her pick of colleges or universities to attend after high school. Yet, the best option for her was always just 30 minutes away from home.

“Indiana University East has always been a good option for me,” Hicks said, because she can receive an IU education in an intimate setting. “I wanted to stay close to home. I definitely did not want a huge, drastic change.”

Today, Hicks is the campus’ most recent Adam W. Herbert IU Presidential Scholar award winner.  The scholarship, now in its fifth year, is given to in-state applicants from every IU campus with the best academic success out of high school. One IU East student is awarded the honor annually.

“It goes to the best of the best of each campus,” IU East Chancellor Nasser Paydar said.

Presidential scholars receive renewable scholarships ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 a year for four years, plus a new laptop computer. In Hicks’ junior or senior year, she is eligible to receive an additional $1,000 reward for international study.

The scholarship program is funded by a $10 million grant from the Lilly Foundation, with the goal of placing more of Indiana’s top high school students at IU campuses and the hope that they might be more inclined to stay in Indiana after they graduate.

“It was an amazing surprise,” Hicks said of the award. “That’s just one more financial thing I don’t have to stress about. I know college is paid for, I never have to think about it. Any money that I do have can go toward living on my own and being a college kid.”

Hicks is studying elementary education, a career that would put her in the same field as her parents. Her mom, Tina Hicks, is a teacher at Northeastern Wayne Schools in Fountain City. Her father, Dennis Hicks, is the registrar at IU East.

“To me, teacher is one of the finest professions that you can do,” Tina Hicks said. “If it were not for teachers, we would not have lawyers, we would not have doctors.”

Tina said her daughter already has experience as a teacher. She has run stations at Vacation Bible School at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Richmond, and has assisted in her classrooms.

“She and my assistant have taken over the class and run it,” Tina said.

Dennis Hicks said the many recent changes on campus, including the establishment of competitive sports through the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the expansion of baccalaureate and graduate programs, makes IU East a “first-choice school” for area high school graduates.

“The whole culture of the IU East campus has really changed,” Dennis said. “That’s why kids like Victoria see this as a first-choice school.

“I’ve really watched the transition where before the average age of students might have been 28,” he said. “Now, I’m seeing all of these young kids straight out of high school.”

Paydar said Victoria is a great example of the caliber of students IU East can recruit with the presidential scholar award, along with other competitive scholarships that are available to students.

“I think she’s really bright and very curious about education,” Paydar said. “All around, she’s a great role model. A great kid.

“We want to increase the number of students on campus at this level,” he said.

High school seniors who are interested in competing for next year’s presidential scholarship must complete their application for admission this fall.

Criteria for selection include class rank, grade point average, SAT I or ACT test scores, and strength of high school curriculum. Also considered are each student’s record of activities and leadership positions, record of community service, personal statement, and a recommendation from a high school teacher, guidance counselor or community member.

Unlike IU’s other competitive scholarship programs, such as the Wells and Kelley Scholars, eligibility for the Herbert Presidential Scholarships is limited to Indiana residents. Preference is given to National Merit Scholarship qualifiers.

Each campus nominates students for the award from its applicant pool.

For more information on enrolling at IU East, visit www.iue.edu/admissions or call (765) 973-8208.

The fundraising effort will kick off during the IU East men’s basketball home game against Berea College on Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. at the Richmond High School Tiernan Center.

The Indiana University East Alumni Association, the Eastern Indiana Chapter of the IU Alumni Association, and the IU East Campus Bookstore  have pledged a $1 donation for every point the Red Wolves score against the Mountaineers.

Businesses or individuals wishing to match the IU East Alumni Association’s donation may contact the IU East Office of Campus Life at (765) 973-8585.

Fans at the game also can make donations. The IU East mascot, Rufus the Red Wolf, will collect donations during the game.

The fundraising effort will continue Feb. 1-5 on the IU East campus. Donations will be accepted at the Bear Creek Coffee location in Springwood Hall, the Student Information Center in Whitewater Hall, and in the IU East Campus Library in Hayes Hall.

Rufus the Red Wolf also will make special fundraising roundups on campus during the week.

Donations will be provided to the American Red Cross.

Spring enrollment at IU East is 2,769, an increase of 16.2 percent compared to spring semester of 2009.  This is the largest percentage increase among all IU campuses.  Students are enrolled in 28,003 credit hours, an increase of 16.5 percent.  Figures for enrollment and credit hours are both new record highs for spring semester.

“We’re delighted to once again see remarkable enrollment growth at IU East,” said Chancellor Nasser Paydar.  “This is truly significant when one considers the impact of more bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates living and working in our region and the value that they will add to companies and communities throughout eastern Indiana and western Ohio.”

IU East’s enrollment has grown continuously since fall 2007, when the campus, in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College – Richmond, transformed its mission to become a baccalaureate and master’s degree institution.  

Enrollment figures are not official until approved by the President of Indiana University.

For over 30 years, Tom taught fine arts to undergraduate students. He was the founder of the Whitewater Valley Annual Art Competition. The WVACC now attracts hundreds of artists for the unique experience of being juried by a nationally-known artist or curator who openly critiques all submitted entries before choosing the top works for the exhibit.

IU East Chancellor Emeritus David Fulton will be one of the speakers at the tribute. Fulton said Tom never discouraged his students but he encouraged, supported and even provoked them to continually improve in their abilities and their talents.

“He was in fact a teacher who touched a large community of artists and art lovers, many who only realized that love through knowing Tom,” Fulton said. “Tom brought a unique vision of the role of art in society, although I do not think he would say it quite like that. He would probably say something like art is in everyone and that it was his job to help everyone express the art that was inside them, whether by doing art or experiencing others’ art.”

Tom’s biomorphic and lyrical abstracts are in galleries in California, New York, Indiana and Florida. Tom’s works have been included in the first and second editions of Contemporary American Painting and magazines including Golf Shores, End, Foyer, Naples Illustrated, and Florida Design.

Tom was born in Auburn, Ind., on November 22, 1945. He attended Montpelier High School and graduated in 1963. He was offered a cross country scholarship to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In 1964, he was a member of the cross country and track team for one season. Tom was also a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

After graduating from Miami in 1968, Tom taught art to junior high and high school students at Union High School in Liberty. He coached cross country and track.

Tom returned to Miami University for graduate courses to earn his MAT in education and student-taught at Eaton High School in Eaton, Ohio. He received a graduate assistantship and earned his Master in Fine Arts degree.
In August 1975, Tom moved to Richmond and began teaching at IU East. He earned several faculty teaching awards most recently in April 2009, Tom received the Chancellor’s Faculty Award for outstanding all-around achievement by an IU East faculty member.

Tom received Indiana University faculty awards including the W. George Pinnell Award for Outstanding Service in 1998 and the Amoco Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1995. He was selected as a member of the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) in 1989.

The public is welcome to share memories or photographs of Tom and RSVP to the event on the Tom Thomas Tribute Web site at www.iue.edu/tribute.

First-day (Jan. 19) enrollment for spring 2010 was 2,627 students, an increase of 13.8 percent compared to the same period last year.  Students are taking 27,603 credit hours, up 17.2 percent from last spring.  These figures set a new historic high for spring semester enrollment at IU East.

IU East has had continuous significant enrollment growth since fall 2007.

Chancellor Nasser Paydar said that IU East has created an affordable and accessible higher education system for residents of eastern Indiana and western Ohio.

“We are committed to providing high-quality academic programs and growing IU East in order to increase the educational attainment in our region, accelerate its economic development, and enhance the quality of life of its citizens,” Paydar said.

All of IU East’s academic schools have experienced enrollment increases, with enrollments in online courses and programs particularly strong, according to Larry Richards, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

“Our leadership in developing online programs for those students who cannot drive to Richmond every day or who work during times when classes are being offered, as well as students who live in other states and are looking for the types of program we offer online, has been a key to our success,” Richards said.

“The interest in online courses and programs is growing every year, and IU East should be well-positioned to adapt to the changes occurring in higher education throughout the country and to serve the mobile, tech-savvy students of the future.”

Official enrollment figures will be released January 26.

Alaska
Anchorage
Carol Horos

Indiana
Albany
Megan Fox

Anderson
Ashley Carter

Aurora
Evan Palmer

Batesville
Derek Schnur

Beech Grove
Dustin Shipley

Brookville
Cory Boggs, Lindsay Keith, William Kelley, Kimberly Lang, Jason Padgett, Alisha Sintz, Amber Surguy

Cambridge City
Sarah Chasteen, Tisha Short, Kristen Wilkinson

Canaan
Jessica Chandler

Cedar Grove
Beverly Ball

Centerville
Dale Davis, Angie Emerick, Megan Frame, Ryan Frame, Jordan Kearney, Erica Thompson, Ryan Shaw, Megan Shepard, Tanya Vance

Charlottesville
Hillary Hufferd

Cloverdale
Ashley Shrader

Connersville
Heather Banks, Kristina Bentley, Anastasia Bishop, Ailur Blair, Amanda Briar, Cynthia Brumfield, Jessica Bunyard, Caroline Collins, Venassia Howard, Rachel Huntsman, Julie Hyser, James Judd, Blythe Keener, Amber Lanham, Jordan Lakes, Shantel Lewis, Kimberly Malone, Mia Marcum, Kevin Mathews, Anthony Moore, Doris Moore, Angela Newman, Julie Phillips, Kristi Precht, Amy Osborn, Zachary O’Neal, Eric Pazzaglia, Marci Satterfield, Shannon Shields, James Snyder, Valerie Tipton,  Juanita Wiser 

Dillsboro
Christopher Gentry

Dublin
Daniel Jackson, Lyndon Wicker

Dunkirk 
Brian Van Nuland

Economy
Dorene Hayes

Eldorado
Robin Roberts

Fountain City
Christopher Hayes, Carrie Ingalls, Yvonne Nester, Nicholas Reece, Kraig Rose, Sara Sanders

Greendale
Earl Allman, Lillian Huston

Greenfield
Kristen Scheer, Kristin Smith

Greensboro
Marc Dewitt

Hagerstown
Shelly Black, Courtney Cain, Benjamin Crawford, Chelsea  Ritter, Catherine Stout

Indianapolis
Brenton Burris, Nikolas Hall, Garrett Fleck, Greg May

Laurel
Vanessa Krammes

Lawrenceburg
Regina Friend, Ashley Lail, Brandi Leckemby, Michael Morman, Lori Wilson

Lewisville
Abigail Spears

Liberty
Meghan Burroughs, Raychael Chambers, Megan Eversole, Christina Frame, Joseph Gibbs, Lindsey Kelly, Daniel Potters, Gwendolyn Tipton

Lynn 
Maryann Deatline, Katelyn Felix, Rachel Phenis, Michael  Straley

Madison
Kelli Chambers

Mays
Christy Hamilton, Whitney Workman

Middletown
Cody Poor

Milan
Charlee Butler

Moores Hill
Mary Rutherford, Danny Smith

Muncie
Susan Payne, Allyson Sanders, Kristin Waechter

New Castle
Haley Asberry, Derek Bogue, Jamey Carey, Brandyn Cox, Tori Fox, Heather Hall, Zackery Helsley, Beverly Hilburt, Chadwick Leduc, Kirstyn Shafer, Renee Sloan, Delmar Smith, Chadrick Swickard, Mary Syme, Jessica Vaughn, Christy Volz, Amber Walters, Kristopher Walters, Megan Weesner, Amanda White

Noblesville
Stacie Muir

North Vernon
Deborah Moran

Oolitic
Amber Joffrion

Osgood
Adam Vollmer

Pendleton
Kristen Mahoney

Richmond
Amy Abney, Jason Allen, Bethany Anderson, Elijah Baxter, Allison Blanford, Marissa Brim, Erin Butler, Tansy Carter, Jason Coblentz, Allison Cook, Christina Craig, Sarah Creech, Lauren Crump, Megan Dargie, Stephanie Dargie, Kevin Defibaugh, Eugene Dees, Adam Dillman, Ryan Doughty, Rachel Falknor, Megan Fennimore, Jenna Fliehman, Heather Gard, Stephanie Gropp, Sandra Gulley, Tyler Hamm, Jennifer Hartman, Victoria Hicks, Brooke Hodgin, Heather Holt, Morgan Imhoff, Katherine Jacob, Rhonda Jones, Ryan Lacey, Wendy Liddell, Aspen Lindley, Evan Livingston, Martha Loring, Geoffrey Luken, Dwight Madden, Michael McCulloch, Lisa McFarland, Daniel Metzelfeld, Rikki Metzger, Kelsey Meyer, Todd Moistner, Fredrick Moore, Terri Napier, Cassandra Oaks, Jareth Pamer, Chelsie Patterson, Tia Penn, Sarah Petry, Amanda Phillips, Tara Piatt, Dan Pierce, Christina Riggs, Kaylee Roberts, Rachel Russell, Travis Sherwood, Joshua Sutton, Alyssa Tegeler, Karen Tevis, Alyssa Toney, Kenneth Turpin, Kenneth Unger, Karen Watson, Laurel Whitt, Karen Wilbur, Katherine Wissel, Adam Wyatt, Sulivong Vorachack, Ayumi Yamano, Zachary Zurwell

Ridgeville
Chelsey Emrick

Rising Sun
Samantha Walton

Rushville
Ashley Evans, Dustin Gwinnup, Chassity Howard

Straughn
Stacy Smith

Union City
Alicia Emrick, Jessica Emrick, Lacy Gray, Adriana Hernandez, Alyssa Warner

Vevay
Xolile Auxier

West Harrison
Brandon Campbell, Mallory Hudgins

West College Corner
Sarah Hensley

West Harrison
Cristy Feist, Julie Gulley

Williamsburg
Tressa Millsaps, Brian Stevenson, Zachary Robbins, Steven Whitehouse

Winchester
Austin Davis, Wanda Eley, Lisa Geesy, Ashley Hall, Ashley Hufnagle, Kerissa McComb, Kayla Montague, Amber Mote, Linda Rittenhouse, Tonya Rittenhouse, Kelsey Tarter, Nancy Whitted

Ohio
Ansonia
Amanda Fischer

Arcanum
Joshua Burns, Joshua Frank, Daniel Karns, Tyler Jobes, Susan Miller, Crystal Warner

Brookville
Rebecca Steck

Camden
Amanda Byrd

Clayton
Lindsey Magee

Eaton
Angelina Barker, Hannah Bryant, Ashley Caudill, Nicole Dickson, Brittany Emmerich, Jena Kaltenback, Kristy Lohnes, Richard McKinney, Bridget Rinehart, Jenna Ross, Jacob Smart, Brooke Williams

Gettysburg
Deborah Mendenhall

Greenville
Courtenay Benanzer, Nathan Ford, Seana Gibson, Allison Gower, Rhianon Harris, Jamie McCool, Kaley Stahl, Penny Stock

Hollansburg
Mark Bevins, Nicholas Howell, Heather Jackson, Richard Shively

Lewisburg
Nathaniel Akers, Lyna Timmons

New Madison
Brett Foreman, Heidi Foreman, Saundra Hoover, Kelli Price

New Paris
Cody Anderson, Kaylyn Flora, Mallorie Frech, Nathan Klein, William Langley, Allyson Roth

Pitsburg
Cassondra Hofacker

Troy
Brianna Strete

Versailles
Courtney Barlage

West Alexandria
Barbara Rehmert

Texas
Arlington
Derek Chambers

Wyoming
Thayne
Jessica Sorensen

Arizona
Scottsdale
Brett Bowie

California
Palm Desert
John Painter

Indiana
Aurora
Jennifer Richey

Batesville
Natalie Dickman, Krystle Kraus

Brookville
Amanda Bonilla, Steven Grant

Cambridge City
Zachary Burns, Andrea Holwager

Centerville
Kyle Wagers

Charlottesville
Lori Stephens

Connersville
Nakia Casteel, Jessica Nick, Christina Persson, Teresa Price, Stephanie Ramey, Daniel Ramsey, James Snyder

Economy
Nicole House, Kristin Watts

Falmouth
Hillary Cameron, Matthew Garringer

Fountain City
Emily Gardner, Veronica Maghielse

Greens Fork
Jeremy Eddy

Greenwood
Denise DeWitt

Hagerstown
Heather Farr, Leasa Rueter

Indianapolis
Susan Corrie, Justin Jones

Laurel
Brian Fultz

Lawrenceburg
Nathan Fuchs, Amy Montgomery

Liberty
Ashley Baker, Brittany Baker, Kayla Brattain, Melissa Davis, Donna Mathews, Sarah McCashland, Randall Moore

Lynn
Zachary Thorne

Madison
Levi DeLorenzo, Jacob McCollum

New Castle
Timothy Alford, Haley Fox

Noblesville
Candice McDonald

Osgood
Miranda Terrill

Richmond
Shannon Boyd, Jessica Combs, Melanie Cope, Angelina Crowe, Jessica Curts, Beth Gibbs, Lynne Glass, Tyler Groff, Clayton Haisley, Anna Harrison, Lyndia Henson, David Johnson, Kami Ketron, Elizabeth McComb, Stacia Richardson, Helen Sams, Susan Smarrelli, Christopher Strittmatter, Joseph Swanson, Jessica Whited, Lindsey Young, Hamid Zakaeifar

Rushville
Amanda Raider

Sulphur Springs
Kim Wood

Valparaiso
Jeffery Kunshek, Todd Kunshek

Versailles
Michelle Cutter, Deborah Tompkins

Vevay
Cindy Little, Karma O’Day

Waveland
Lynnette Ringis

West Harrison
Kirk Campbell

Williamsburg
Codie Kirby

Winchester
Cheryl Frazier, Jessica Sells, Ray Slick

Kentucky
Walton
Jeffrey Borne

North Carolina
Sanford
Elizabeth Cook

Ohio
Camden
Jordan Rogers

Eaton
Kari Bowman, Michael Gibbs, Barbara Haney, Brittany Phelps

Fairfield
Scott Welte

Greenville
Ashlee Filby, Dane Graham, Kristina Hawkey, Mandy Jones

Hamilton
Cecile Dixon, Amber Owens

Hollansburg
Mark Howell

Kettering
Kim Rowell

Lewisburg
Nikole Summers

Miamisburg
Patrice Hawes, Rachel Stukenborg

New Madison
Deidra Purvis

New Paris
Danielle Finney, Amber Stall

Sidney
Dale Guinther

Troy
Tamara Stookey

Union City
Lisa Breymier

Wilmington
Christina Gragg

Pennsylvania
Lewistown
Kimbra Shoop

Boanes speech is “The Inconvenient King and the Politics of Memory.” The event is open to the public.

Tim Williams, director of Multicultural Affairs at IU East, said it is important for the university to provide opportunities for students and the community to hear different viewpoints on history.

“The annual IU East celebration is a time to reflect and learn of the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. Our presenter, Professor Boanes, will talk about the revolutionary civil rights leader and the impact he has made on history.”

Boanes has taught at Ohio State University, Columbia College, Loyola of Chicago and Virginia State University. She earned her undergraduate degree from Howard University and her graduate degree from Northwestern University. Boanes’ research focuses on twentieth century social protest movements with a particular concentration on postwar black freedom struggles. At present, Boanes is working on a study of the fight for educational equity in post-Brown Boston and NYC.

For more information, contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (765)973-8320.

Satya Banga, a native of Mumbai, India, is a self-taught fine art photographer. A management graduate by profession, Satya rediscovered and evolved his talent in West Lafayette, Ind. This is the first public exhibition of Satya’s work, a vibrant collection inspired by day to day things that are usually overlooked.

Jon Hughes, a journalist, author, and playwright, is a self-taught photojournalist who began publishing photographs in 1985 at the age of 40. Although Hughes has been on assignment around the world (most recently in India, Mexico and Post-Katrina New Orleans), he considers Cincinnati to be his major ongoing documentary project. His work has been exhibited internationally and his most recent publications include The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Village Voice and The Associated Press. He is director of the Journalism Program at the University of Cincinnati.

Sean Hughes has over 15 years of professional photojournalism and design experience, primarily as the art director for both CityBeat newspaper and The Sondheim Review national magazine. During that time he amassed a collection of work in design, art direction and photography for a variety of multimedia photo shows, Web sites, intranet development, corporate image packages, books, CDs, posters, magazines and more. His photojournalism assignments run the gamut, including NCAA basketball finals, extensive documentary studies in Cuba, coverage of medical team travels to Oaxaca, Mexico, professional tennis and now India. Sean Hughes is currently a working photojournalist and an assistant professor in photojournalism and design at the University of Cincinnati.

Philip Oechsli is a fourth-year photography major at Earlham College. During the fall and early winter 2008 he studied politics, economics, sociology, and temple architecture in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. During this stay, Oechsli tried to capture the daily essence of life in India. Oechsli said it became apparent during his first few days in the country that this was an impossible task to undertake.

“The country presents quite possibly one of the most complex frameworks for cultural heritage and preservation that provides India with nearly infinite layers of tradition to be studied and documented,” Oechsli said. “I by no means intend for this series to be representative of Indian society as a whole, but rather only representative to what is presented within the image during the moment of its exposure.”

A reception will be held for the artists at 7 p.m. on January 27. Visitors are welcome to view the exhibit during gallery hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call Ed Thornburg, gallery curator, at (765) 973-8605 or visit www.iue.edu/gallery.

Hicks is studying for her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree. She is a member of the IU East volleyball team.

Now in its fifth year, this scholarship program is funded by a $10 million grant from the Lilly Foundation, with the goal of placing more of Indiana’s top high school students at IU campuses and the hope that they might be more inclined to stay in Indiana after they graduate.

These students receive renewable scholarships ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 a year for four years, plus a new laptop computer. In their junior or senior year, the students also will receive an additional $1,000 award toward the cost of a semester of international study.

Criteria for selection include class rank, grade point average, SAT I or ACT test scores and strength of high school curriculum. Also considered are each student’s record of activities and leadership positions, record of community service, personal statement, and a recommendation from a high school teacher, guidance counselor or community member. Indiana residency is required and preference is given to National Merit Scholarship qualifiers.

Unlike IU’s other competitive scholarship programs, such as the Wells and Kelley Scholars, eligibility for Herbert Presidential Scholarships is limited to Indiana residents. Each campus nominates students for the award from its applicant pool.

High school seniors who are interested in competing for next year’s Herbert Presidential Scholarships should be sure their application for admission is completed and turned in this fall to the Office of Admissions. For more information on enrolling at IU East, visit www.iue.edu/admissions or call (765) 973-8208.