Indiana University East honored three individuals for their service to the university and within the community during the Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner held tonight (November 15) in the Whitewater Hall Lobby.

The Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner is IU East’s official Indiana University Bicentennial event.

As part of the formal dinner this year the event included the presentation of the Chancellor’s Medallion, IU East Alumni Hall of Fame inductees, IU Bicentennial Medals and a major gift to IU East.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, IU President Michael A. McRobbie was unable to attend the event but extended his best wishes and gratitude to the honorees.

IU East Chancellor Kathryn Cruz-Uribe recognized honored guests, including John Applegate, IU executive vice president for University Academic Affairs; members of the IU East Board of Advisors; officers of the IU Alumni Association East Region board; IU Board of Trustee member Donna Spears of Richmond, Indiana; Senator Jeff Raatz; city of Richmond Mayor Dave Snow; and past recipients of the Chancellor’s Medallion.

The Chancellor’s Medallion was first awarded in 1992 and has since been given to 33 friends of the university. The medallion is the highest honor presented by the chancellor and recognizes individuals who have rendered distinguished service to IU East. The award is bestowed upon individuals who have given freely of their talents in the promotion of human welfare and community well-being; and who serve as exemplary role models for students and alumni through their integrity, leadership, and commitment.

“The Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner is an occasion for celebration,” Cruz-Uribe said. “The Chancellor’s Medallion recognizes community leaders who have helped to shape our campus by going beyond the call of duty. They have helped create a culture of learning on our campus, inspired creativity, provided important advice and counsel, supported IU East through philanthropic investment and advocated on behalf of our students and alumni.”

Chancellor’s Medallion Recipients

Richard (Rick) E. Boston of Richmond, Indiana, is an attorney and partnering manager with Boston Bever Klinge Cross & Chidester (BBKCC) Attorneys. Boston, IU

Rick Boston

Bloomington B.S. ’68 and J.D. ’71, practices in the areas of wills, trusts and probate matters; business transactions; real estate and bankruptcy. Since 1979 he has been an appointed United States Bankruptcy Trustee by the Department of Justice for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.

He is a lifetime member of the Indiana University Alumni Association and a member of the President’s Circle. He is a current board member of the IU East Board of Advisors, IU East Art Advisory Committee, and Richmond Art Museum (RAM). Previously, Boston was a past president of the IU Alumni Association of Wayne County, IUPUI Herron School of Art + Design – Friends of Herron Gallery Board of Directors, Richmond Symphony Orchestra (RS0) and the Wayne County Child Protection Team.

Ginger Gray

Ginger Gray of Richmond, Indiana, is a philanthropist, event planner and historic preservationist. She is a founding member of Palette to Palate, a collaborative fundraising event between RAM and IU East.

She is a lifetime board member of the RSO and she has served on the board for RAM and the Richmond Neighborhood Restoration. She is also a founding member of the Women’s Giving Circle of the Wayne County Foundation. She assists in planning an average of 10 nonprofit events, including Cope Environmental Center, Amigos, Girls Inc. and IU East including events such as the Chancellor’s Medallion, chancellor installations, and fundraising events. For her volunteer leadership, Gray received the RSO President’s Award in 2016 and the Wayne County Foundation’s Rodefeld Award in 2017.

Tom Williams

Marvin (Tom) Thomas Williams of Richmond, Indiana, IU Bloomington ’74, formerly worked as the employment manager at Reid Health.

He is a member of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. He teaches Bible study, Vacation Bible School and is he an active member of the church’s Men’s Fellowship. Williams is an active member of the NAACP Richmond Chapter, serving as president for the past three years. He volunteers with the Richmond Youth Football League 5th and 6th grade Tackle Program.

Williams has worked to develop collaborative events between IU East, Ivy Tech and Richmond High School to help encourage more first-generation students and under-served students to seek secondary education opportunities. Williams was also instrumental in bringing the IU Soul Revue to campus in spring 2019.

IU East Alumni Association Hall of Fame Recipients

During the event, IU East Alumni Association inducted three special alumni into the IU East Alumni Association Hall of Fame. Lora K. Baldwin (September 1958-March 2019), Michael R. Day and James R. White were inducted in recognition and celebration as outstanding alumni of IU East.

The IU East Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes alumni who have typified the IU East tradition of excellence and brought credit to the campus through their personal accomplishments, professional achievement and leadership and humanitarian service and citizenship.

The Alumni Hall of Fame includes 25 members.

Terry Wiesehan, director of Alumni Affairs, said as the campus celebrates the university’s bicentennial and the upcoming 50th anniversary of IU East, more alumni are joining the ranks from across the region, country and worldwide.

“Tonight’s recipients can be considered our pioneer alumni. They were here in our early years and it is upon their shoulders so many of our current alumni stand,” Wiesehan said. “Tonight’s inductees truly exemplify the criteria of this award.  But most noteworthy, all three have contributed to the next generations with their talents, knowledge and leadership in extraordinary ways.”

Lora K. Baldwin

IU East Hall of Fame Inductees

Lora K. Baldwin (September 1958-March 2019) received her associates and bachelor’s degrees in business from IU East in 1982. She earned her Master’s of Library and Information Science in 1985 and a M.S. in Educational Psychology 1989 from Indiana University Bloomington. Baldwin worked for IU East for over 35 years, first as a work-study student in the library and then as librarian/faculty member starting in 1985.

She was a founding charter secretary of the IU East Alumni Association and a lifetime member of the IU Alumni Association. Baldwin was the recipient of the IU Alumni Association President’s Award in 1994 and an IU Bicentennial Medal as a posthumous award on September 6.

Michael R. Day

Michael R. Day received his B.S. in Education in 1995 from IU East. He teaches seventh and ninth grade social studies at Centerville Junior and Senior High School in Centerville, Indiana. He has coached junior and high school football for 23 years, and he has been the head coach for wrestling and girls track.

Day emphasizes an importance on learning about different cultures through his curriculum, giving, community service and he promotes literacy through the Silent Sustained Reading program at CHS. He sponsors Student Council and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is a board member for Chrysalis (Emmaus) Community and worship team member for Fountain City Wesleyan Church.

James R. White

James R. White received his Associate Degree in Criminal Justice in 1975 and his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from IU East in 1979. He earned his Masters of Education from Butler University. White retired as a clinical lecturer from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI in 2019. Previously, he was a public safety lecturer at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI. He served the U.S. Army and Indiana Army National Guard, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air Force Reserve.

White is a retired Indiana State Police lieutenant with over 20 years of service who commanded the Indianapolis District. Upon retiring White returned to active duty with the U.S. Army serving as a security planner for the 1993 World University Games, the 1994 World Cup Soccer Championships, and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. After Iraq he served as the deputy assistant commandant of the U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He also served as the deputy director of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and then as the deputy director of the Marion County Emergency Management Agency.

IU Bicentennial Medal Recipients

The Bicentennial Medal honors distinguished and distinctive service, broadly defined, in support of Indiana University’s mission as a public university, individuals who have enlarged the footprint of IU, or have helped to put IU on the map in unique ways. The medals themselves are unique, made from materials salvaged from the old bells which hung in the Student Building on the IU Bloomington campus, giving recipients a lasting piece of IU history. Those receiving the Bicentennial Medal should be seen as models for future students, faculty, alumni, and organizations to emulate as IU enters its Third Century.

IU Bicentennial Medals recipients:
Richard Bodiker – 1992 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient and an IU Honorary Degree in 2016.
Rick Boston – 2019 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
Angie Dickman – 2017 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
Shaun Dingwerth – 2017 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
Ginger Gray – 2019 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
Garry Kleer – 2015 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
John McBride – 2015 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
IU Trustee Donna Spears – 2015 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient. Spears already received her Bicentennial Medal from President McRobbie and was additionally recognized during the Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner.
Ashton Veramallay – 2014 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
Jane Vincent – 2014 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.
Tom Williams – 2019 Chancellor’s Medallion recipient.

Chancellor’s Medallion Event

The Chancellor’s Medallion welcomes guests to celebrate service to the campus and community.

As part of the formal program, IU East provided entertainment by pianist Haewon Yang and the Tin Cup.

Yang is a piano instructor at IU East. She performed “Reflets dans l’eau (reflections in the water)” by Claude Debussy and Earl Wild’s Virtuoso Etude No. 6, based on George Gershwin’s “I got rhythm.”

As an avid performer and collaborative musician, Korean-Canadian pianist Yang is sought after for her flexibility across different genres and carefully studied interpretations. She has won top prizes in national competitions such as the Shean Piano Competition and the Canadian Music Competition, and her performances have taken her throughout North America. Yang is a candidate for the Doctor of Music in Piano Performance and Literature with a minor in music education from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

The Tin Cup is a trio includes Kierstan Barbre, advisor for the IU East School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Denny Howard, and Aaron Nell. Tin Cup played a selection of music prior to the start of the program.

Gift Announcement

The Chancellor’s Medallion concluded with an exciting gift announcement that will provide opportunities for philanthropy for years to come.

Ginger Gray, with her husband Cory Gray, made a $250,000 gift to provide opportunities for students and student clubs to apply for funding that supports philanthropic efforts on and off campus.

The gift was announced by IU Board of Trustee member Donna Spears announced the gift.

For more information on Gray’s gift and creation of the Ginger Gray Spirit of Philanthropy Fund, read the news release.

IU East exceeds For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign goal

During the event, Applegate announced the campus has exceeded its For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign. IU East raised over $7.6 million by the end of October 2019, including funds to establish 21 new scholarships for students. The campaign closes June 30, 2020 to coincide with the IU Bicentennial year.

Vice Chancellor for External Affairs Jason Troutwine said the campus is ecstatic to surpass its goal.

“This is an exciting moment for our campus. IU East continues to benefit from the generous support of our community, campus and alumni – and, we are very grateful,” Troutwine said. “While we are excited to exceed our campus goal, we are mindful that students continue to have needs and new opportunities. Encouraging philanthropic support to IU East will continue to be a priority.”

For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign is taking place on all IU-administered campuses including IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. The campaign will conclude in June 2020 to coincide with IU’s bicentennial year celebration in 2020. To learn more about the campaign, its impact and how to participate, visit forall.iu.edu.

Founded in 1936, the Indiana University Foundation maximizes private support for Indiana University by fostering lifelong relationships with key stakeholders and providing advancement leadership and fundraising services for campuses and units across the university. Today, the IU Foundation oversees one of the largest public university endowments in the country, with a market value in excess of $2.3 billion.