Chair of Mathematics Department participates on online education panel discussion
Markus Pomper, chair of the Department of Mathematics, was invited to be a panelist at a podium discussion at the Indiana Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). The meeting was held on October 26 in Evansville, Ind. The panelists explored topics ranging from the challenges to teaching online classes in Mathematics, overcoming student problems, and instructional techniques.

Pomper was selected to participate in this discussion because IU East is in the unique position to offer an entire degree program in Mathematics online. During the past year, the enrollment in the online math program has grown dramatically and now enrolls 90 students, who reside in 34 states or U.S. territories. Some of the students reside in Canada, Germany, Israel, Korea and Japan. IU East is the only U.S. institution to offer a Bachelor of Science degree online.

“Our Mathematics program has grown tremendously since its inception in 2011,” Pomper said. “The mathematical community is taking note of our accomplishments and asking us to share our experiences.”

Business administration assistant professor publishes case study
Assistant Professor of Business Administration Marcy Jance recently had two case studies published. “The Bakery” was published in the Journal of Business Case Studies Volume 9, No 6. November/December 2013. This case study can be used in a statistics course for student learning and assessment purposes.

The study focuses on three bakeries that are ideal for use in a statistics class to assess how well students have mastered descriptive statistics, probability distributions, and statistical inference.

“The Dean’s Dilemma” was published in the Journal of Business Cases and Applications Volume 10. The case study focuses on integer linear programming techniques and can be used in decision modeling and/or management science courses for student learning purposes.

History major receives scholarship to attend National conference
Indiana University East history major Vyvyan Walker received a scholarship to attend the National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference, which met  in Indianapolis October 29-November 2.

The conference featured topical sessions led by nationally-known preservationists and field experiences in which participants toured sites associated with Indiana’s limestone heritage, historic churches, and places linked to the Underground Railroad. Walker took part in tours of historic Indianapolis theaters and restored homes in the Near North Side.

Walker is from Winchester, Ind., and a sophomore at IU East. She is in the Honors Program, an academic program that provides an intellectually enriched curriculum for highly-motivated students, and will present about her experience at the conference and historic preservation in her history course, The Nature of History, as part of the program.

“I enjoy all aspects of history, and I intend on becoming a historian. I enjoyed the opportunity of attending the conference and learning more about the restoration of historic structures and sites locally in Indianapolis,” Walker said.

In addition to students selected from Indiana University campuses, scholarship recipients came from such schools as the University of Southern California and the University of Texas.  Students were invited to submit an essay explaining their interest in historic preservation. A faculty panel chose up to two attendants from each Indiana University campus based on the essays.

Professor of History Joanne Passet, who is the IU East representative to the Indiana University Committee on Historic Preservation, also attended the conference. She said students benefit from the conference by learning historic preservation and it also provides an opportunity for college students to network with each other and public history professionals.

Nursing students travel to Chinle, New York, Washington, D.C. to gain hands-on experience
The School of Nursing recently took two different group trips to Chinle, Ariz. and Washington, D.C. and New York for students to gain experience in community nursing.

Karen Clark, dean of the School of Nursing, lead the annual trip to Chinle. This year, students on the trip included two Master of Science in Nursing students completing their student teaching and eight undergraduate students. Students either gave or assisted in giving nearly 600 flu shots, primarily to school age children and adolescents.

While in Chinle, students were able to hike and ride horse back through Canyon de Chelly, the second largest canyon in the country. While there, students saw ruins, cliff dwellings and learned of Navajo history from Navajo guides. Students spent four hours in a sweat with a Native healer learning about the Navajo way.

“These opportunities expand the experiences of our students, many of whom have never been outside of east central Indiana and west central Ohio,” Clark said. “The chance to experience different cultures enhances the students’ ability to understand and deliver culturally sensitive care. Their awareness of the impact of poverty on lives and their roles of nurses in meeting the needs of those experiencing poverty and homelessness is made real through first-hand experience. This year, in particular, students also had the opportunity to see how the government shutdown affected the “non-essential” personnel who provide health care in very real and essential ways.”

The Washington, D.C. and New York trip was October 19-16. This trip was led by Curtis Bow, lecturer in nursing, and Paula Baumann, assistant professor of nursing, and Jennifer Bow, adjunct faculty nursing.

While in New York, students volunteered at the Harlem Food Pantry to assist with Stock & Shop, a personal shopping experience where eligible families have the opportunity to shop the food bank in a grocery-like fashion, as well as assisted in preparing meals for seniors and families in Harlem. They volunteered with a men’s mission organization, Bowery Mission, to serve lunch to members as well as those in the neighborhood seeking meals.  Students also sorted donated items from hotels to help provide toiletries to the homeless population.

The students and faculty worked with the Food Bank for New York City and sorted, packed and prepared for delivery 5,035 pounds of fresh apples.  The volunteer man-hours provided by the IU East School of Nursing for the apple sorting allowed 4,000 additional meals to be served by the Food Bank.

While in New York, students had the opportunity to tour the World Trade Center Memorial.

Once in Washington, D.C., the students put their hands and education to work by volunteering with the Capitol Hill United Methodist Church by providing health screenings, answered health questions, and learned from the stories of those the students served. They volunteered with the Food and Friends, an organization that provides packaged ready-to-heat meals and groceries to 3,500 people in the metro area. The organization supports patients and their families who face life challenging medical conditions such as HIV and cancer.

The students volunteered at the DC Central Kitchen to prepare 10,000 daily meals for distribution throughout the homeless shelter system. IU East students worked beside culinary training participants who were recently released from incarceration or working through substance dependence.

To conclude the trip, students volunteered with the Christ House to help plan, purchase, prepare and serve lunch and dinner to residents of Christ House, a medically supportive housing program for homeless.  Students also helped to provide education to 30 men regarding foot care and smoking cessation.

Nursing major Tiara Smith said as nurses, students have a professional responsibility to assist the community by educating its members on methods to improve and maintain a healthy quality of life.

“This trip has allowed us nursing students an exciting opportunity to practice promoting healthy lifestyles outside of our small communities and safe zones and into a much larger and more culturally diverse group of individuals who are underprivileged, without homes, and terminally ill. Through our teaching, meal preparation, and meal packaging, we affected the lives of thousands of individuals and their appreciation was heartfelt and overwhelming,” Smith said. “Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us lends a helping hand to our friends and families. So why not extend our services to include those individuals who are less fortunate?”