Category: Alumni News

You can’t talk about Judy Bentley’s family history without also mentioning the University of Indianapolis. For starters, it’s where her parents, Robert E. McBride and Luella Hart, met during their first year at Indiana Central College in the early 1940s. Her mom and dad both worked in the school kitchen and forged a romantic connection while cleaning pots and pans together.

Bob and Luella at Indiana Central College and Washington, Ind. (lower right)

What happened next is documented in Judy’s book, 25 Sugarland Road, Letters of Love and War, 1943-1945, published by the Indiana Historical Society Press. It’s a compilation of letters that Bob and Luella wrote to each other during World War II as they interrupted their education, navigated a time of great deprivation, and started a family together. 

“I have selected family letters from 1943 to the end of 1945 and narrated the necessary background and war information,” Judy explains. “The book includes their engagement picture on a bench in front of the old college administrative hall and several mentions of what is now the University of Indianapolis.” 

The letters were discovered by family after Luella and Bob died, and it wasn’t until Judy read the collection years later that she realized what a special discovery they’d made. 

Readers can follow along as Bob proposes to Luella in front of Good Hall in 1943, as they get married in 1944 on a three-day military leave, and as Bob receives written word from home that his wife is pregnant with their first child, Judy. Letters from Elwood (Woody) McBride, who was an outstanding basketball player at ICC, are also included in the book. 

“We don’t have another story like this, with artifacts like these letters in the archives,” said Michael Cartwright, Vice President for University Mission and Associate Professor of Philosophy & Religion. “The book presents a unique view of what students were doing, thinking, and feeling during World War II.” 

It’s also a story about seeing the world differently; for example, Bob left rural Indiana to visit exotic locations like London, Berlin, and Paris during his time as a military medic, writing home about experiences with people from different backgrounds than his own. 

Related: Read Indiana Historical Society’s Q&A with Judy Bentley

After the war, Bob and Luella returned to the ICC campus and lived in married student housing at Cummins Hall with their daughter while Bob completed two and a half years of college. After graduating in 1948, he attended seminary in Ohio, worked on his doctorate at the University of Chicago, and then returned to Indianapolis to teach philosophy and religion at Indiana Central College. (During these years, he supported the family as a minister in the Evangelical United Brethren Church.)

Judy as a child with Doug Mullen near Cummins Hall

In 1954, the McBride family moved to a house on Castle Avenue in the University Heights neighborhood, which is where Judy grew up from fourth grade through high school. She writes that it was a neighborhood where the church, school, and community all overlapped; it was also a very White, Protestant, homogeneous place. 

Judy remembers roaming the area with friends, attending services at the United Methodist Church, and going to see the musical Oklahoma! on UIndy’s campus. Judy’s brothers, Ron and Steve, were fast friends with Russell Brooker, son of chemistry professor Bob Brooker, who lived down the alley from the McBrides. The McBride family also hosted events for students at their house on Castle Avenue. 

“The Philosophy Club met in our home, and my mother always made good dessert for that. I sometimes listened in,” Judy said. 

Meanwhile, Luella became a secretary for the Evangelical United Brethren Conference South office, working in the basement of Buxton Hall (now known as the Stierwalt Alumni House), and Bob became known as an intellectual force at ICC who encouraged students to think carefully and rigorously. Before retiring, he wrote a memoir titled A Family Affair, which can be found in the University of Indianapolis archives. 

Although Judy no longer lives in central Indiana, the University of Indianapolis continues to hold a special place in her heart and in her family’s history. Her dad was an accomplished student-athlete at ICC; maybe that’s why Judy can still remember all the words to the old ICC fight song. 

All royalties from sales of 25 Sugarland Road will be donated to the University of Indianapolis. 

Audrey Schafer ‘09, events and program manager for National Football Scouting, Inc., is responsible for organizing the entire event and bringing it together as seamlessly as possible. Schafer, who graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a degree in sports management and a minor in business administration, works almost year-round to coordinate venues, vendors, players and team schedules.

The National Invitational Camp, what we all know as the NFL Combine, culminates over the course of approximately one week in late February, but the lifecycle for planning the event goes well beyond that. “The Combine actually does not end for me until the NFL Draft,” Schafer said. “I will work with the NFL teams and their medical staffs from the start of the Combine until the draft to ensure they have all the information about players that they need.”

Immediately following the draft is when typical back-office operations take place to wrap up the current year, but focus quickly shifts to planning for the next year throughout the fall.

“During that time I work on anything from what we can do better, to how we can implement new technology, to new player gear design for the next event,” Schafer said. Once vendor contracts are generated in the early stages of winter, Schafer and her team then begin to finalize invitations and registration as well as begin to set the schedule for the event – which at that point is still months away!

Schafer enrolled at UIndy with the intention of becoming an athletic trainer. While she ultimately decided to follow a different path, she was interested in staying in the world of sports. Schafer credits her relationship with Dr. Jennifer VanSickle, program director of sport management and professor of kinesiology and health & sport sciences, and her willingness to provide career advice, for Schafer’s success today. 

“Professor VanSickle encouraged me to try different facets of sports management to see what avenue I liked best,” Schafer said. “I took a public relations class and started working in the Athletics Department with Matt Donovan [Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development].”

Schafer enjoyed her time working in athletics, specifically on game days. She sought out more hours working games and events and she soon realized that event management was going to be her focus.

While the event management of the Combine follows the same template year after year, it is definitely never the same event twice. “Every year there is something that makes me stop and say, ‘well I haven’t done that before, but let’s figure it out,’” Schafer said.

Because of all of the planning that goes into the event, in a perfect world, the event itself is almost the easy part. “The two weeks leading up to the event are the toughest for me,” Schafer said. “That is the time that everyone needs something from you and it feels like there isn’t enough time to complete your to-do list. Luckily I have a great staff that helps pull everything together.”

Schafer isn’t the only important UIndy connection with the NFL Combine. “One of the unknown ways UIndy supports the Combine are our athletic training tables,” Schafer said. “Several years ago we purchased the training tables for our event, but did not have room to store them. I reached out to UIndy and worked out that they can use them for the year, free of charge, as long as they can transport them to us to use during the event.”

UIndy students have also had the opportunity to be involved in the Combine over the years. National Football Scouting works with the athletic training department at UIndy to identify a student to work as an intern for the week of the event. “This is a fantastic learning experience for the student as they work with our training staff throughout the week at the event, on the field, and at the bench press,” Schafer said.

In past years, coordinated through the Indianapolis Colts organization, athletic training students have also worked at local hospitals during the event to help take players’ orthopedic histories.

For the last several years, students have been able to volunteer to work at the NFL Combine Experience. They help with staffing of different areas throughout the Experience. “This is a great way for sports management students to get their volunteer hours in, and is set up and run through the NFL office directly,” according to Schafer.

These opportunities and those Schafer had during her time at UIndy are invaluable to students trying to discover their passions and how they will use them in their future careers. “UIndy really helped shape who I have become as an adult,” Schafer said. “UIndy is a school that will give you back everything and more that you put into it.”

“I am proof that your professors are really there to help you succeed in every way possible,” she continued. “I was able to create a career that keeps me smiling and enables me to help guide others looking to get into the business, and provides me with unique ways to give back to my alma mater.”

The University of Indianapolis announced Friday the recipients of the 2018 Alumni Awards, which recognize outstanding alumni whose positive contributions make a local, regional and national impact. The 2018 nominees represent the community leadership, integrity and commitment to giving back that embodies the University’s founding principles.

Education for Service Award: Michael Shurn ’71

The Education for Service Award recognizes an alumnus or alumna whose life work has exemplified a fulfillment of the philosophy underlying the University’s motto “Education for Service.”

Michael Shurn graduated in 1971 with a degree in English and later earned his J.D. from Indiana University. He is the judge for the Pulaski County Circuit Court in Winamac, Ind.  An avid community volunteer, Judge Shurn has worked extensively with the Pulaski County Historical Society, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Winamac Kiwanis Club and his church, which earned him the 2011 H.J. Halleck Award for community service. He also served six years on the University’s Alumni Board of Directors and remains active in UIndy events. Michael and his wife, Mary, have two children. Their daughter, Megan, is a 2003 UIndy graduate.

Distinguished Faculty/Staff Alumni Award: Marianna Foulkrod ’01 ’04

The Distinguished Faculty/Staff Alumni Award recognizes current faculty or staff members who are alumni and have demonstrated consistent dedication and superior service to the University.

Marianna Foulkrod ’01 ’04 came to the University of Indianapolis from Cyprus and earned a degree in French in 2001, followed by a master’s degree in Applied Sociology in 2004. She serves as the Director of Service Learning & Community Engagement at the University. She is committed to providing students with a quality education through service which has earned UIndy the 2010 Community Engagement Classification through the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, as well as recognition from the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Foulkrod and her husband Kevin, Class of 2000, have two children.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award: Derik Wittenberg ’14

The Distinguished Young Alumni Award recognizes and honors an alumnus and/or alumna of the University who, while still relatively young, has made outstanding contributions to his or her community.

Derik Wittenberg earned an MBA from the University in 2014 and currently serves as a financial consultant at Elanco. Prior to graduate school, he was a chemist with the Lilly Research Labs and Lilly Manufacturing. Since graduating from Ulndy’s MBA program he has been promoted three times in the last three years and was the youngest member elected to the Board of Directors of the Heritage Place of Indianapolis. Serving as Treasurer, Wittenberg oversees the financial vitality of this organization that serves 1200 senior citizens across central Indiana while also chairing multiple fundraising events that helped support outreach initiatives.

Gene And Joanne Sease Award: Ed ’84 and Pam ’84 Qualls
Named in honor of former UIndy President Gene E. Sease and his wife, JoAnne, this award recognizes couples who contribute their time, talent and treasure to the University.

Ed Qualls earned degrees in business administration and business data processing in 1984 and Pam Qualls received a degree in music performance also in 1984. Both currently serve on the University’s Board of Trustees. Ed is the owner and president of Just Add Power Cardware Co., Inc. Pam is the chief executive officer of UMCM Suncoast, a leading social services not-for-profit agency. The Qualls met on campus as undergraduates in the 1980s and credit experiences at the University for shaping their lives, including a lifelong commitment to “Education for Service.” The Qualls have two children and reside in Largo, Florida.

Distinguished Alumni Award: Vickie Wolcott ’77 ’79

This award recognizes outstanding professional accomplishments or longtime service in a chosen occupation or profession.

Vickie Wolcott earned degrees in Economics & Finance in 1977 and Business Administration in 1979. She has been with M.J. Schuetz Insurance Services for 40 years serving in every role in the company, starting as the receptionist, certificate of insurance typist, bond typist, claim processor, bookkeeper, account executive, and, today, president and owner. Well known throughout the industry, Vickie has served in leadership positions on multiple boards and was awarded the Harry P. Cooper Public Image Award in 2014. Vickie has two children, including a daughter, April, who graduated in 2013.