Category: Features

Incoming University of Indianapolis freshman Alec Deuel knows about overcoming obstacles. He was diagnosed with autism in grade school and struggled academically.

In eighth grade, he enrolled at Damar Charter Academy and the story changed: By day three, he tested out of algebra, earning his first high school credit. Recently, he scored 30 on the ACT, well over the 22.6 average for 2017 test takers in Indiana, according to Prep Scholar.

“Damar has been a tremendous help for him and allowed him to work at his pace and at his level,” Jennifer Atkinson, Alec’s mom, said.

Another obstacle he and his mom have overcome is homelessness. Atkinson credits the Salvation Army for providing transitional housing, and Damar for working with staff at the Salvation Army to provide modifications for a guest with autism.

Alec is now on the path to becoming valedictorian of his high school graduating class and was awarded the Senator Richard G Lugar Award of Academic Distinction through the University of Indianapolis. Alec’s goal is to become a professor of paleontology, something he’s been talking about since he was six years old.

This Christmas, he’s not asking for dinosaurs, though. He wants a Jack Doyle jersey. Alec met the Colts tight end when he visited Damar shortly after joining the team. Alec has been a fan ever since.

On Sunday, Dec. 16, he’ll be on the field to watch the team warm up before he takes his MVP seats for the game with his mom, grandmother and step-grandfather. He’s been named the Damar MVP for the game as part of the Colts’ partnership with Damar Services to reward students for their achievements.

We look forward to welcoming Alec and the entire Class of 2023 to campus next fall!

Photo courtesy Chris Sickels

In a world where the fast pace of technology constantly demands attention, the 3D work of artist Chris Sickels makes audiences stop and look. Sickels, who is the mastermind of Greenfield-based Red Nose Studio, creates characters and imagery from found objects and a variety of materials to build 3D dioramas that he photographs. The result is whimsical art that offers food for thought for adults and children alike.

Sickels’ artwork will be on display during “Curiouser and Curiouser: Chris Sickels” at the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center Gallery from Nov. 19 through Dec. 14, 2018, with an opening reception Nov. 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. and lecture from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. The exhibition will feature a selection of photographic illustrations of original dioramas, sculptures and his signature stop-motion animated films.

Sickels calls his commissioned work a type of visual problem-solving, typically done in collaboration with an art director, as he determines how to distill content down to a single image to sculpt and photograph. His extensive portfolio includes books, short stories and ad campaigns, and his work has been recognized by American Illustration, Communication Arts, HOW and The Society of Illustrators.

“As an illustrator, my job is to create an image that hopefully makes a viewer or reader stop and pursue content further, whether that’s a book cover or an image in a magazine,” Sickels explained.

In many cases, Sickels’ end goal is to produce a photograph of an original sculpture or diorama. He said he enjoys the creative process, whether he’s creating a single photo like the “Hero of Five Points” or a more elaborate animation like “Secret Subway.”

The popularity of stop-motion animation hits in the mid-90s like “Wallace and Gromit” or “The Nightmare before Christmas” were early inspirations for Sickels, who quickly realized that some of his favorites  – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer among them – had been around for much longer. Turning that fascination into paid commissions was key.

“A few years out of school, I was able to find a way to integrate what I loved about stop motion and fabrication and fold that into what I loved about illustration,” he explained.

As digital platforms proliferated in recent years, Sickels found more outlets to share his art, and more clients willing to experiment. He said the possibilities for artists continue to grow.

“Now illustration can be on several different platforms and on different scales. It’s just a matter of finding a right place for that content. It’s so much more accessible,” Sickels said.

Sickels grew up on a small family farm where things had to always be fixed with what was available. That experience continues to inform his work at his studio in Greenfield, Indiana, as he melds the creative process with the practical pressures of deadlines.

“With the method and techniques I use, you don’t always have exactly what you need but you have to find things that work. Sometimes when you’re forced to use found objects you have on hand, you get a surprise. It might not be exactly how you envisioned it at the beginning, but there’s a balance that happens,” Sickels said.

Learn more about the exhibition.

Follow Chris Sickels on Twitter and Instagram.

Written by Sara Galer, Communications Manager, University of Indianapolis. Contact newsdesk@uindy.edu with your campus news.

John Kuykendall

Today’s K-12 classrooms are changing, and teacher education is evolving too. John Kuykendall, dean of the University of Indianapolis School of Education, said that means there’s an increasing need for innovation.

“We want to be transformational in our School of Education,” he said. “Teachers have to be prepared to teach more diverse students, in more technologically advanced classrooms.”

In addition to multi-tasking, Kuykendall said today’s teachers are working with students who may be experiencing trauma at home, so a modern curriculum may include counseling. Preparing student-teachers for these dynamic educational settings is a key goal for Kuykendall, who joined the University in June 2018.

“One of the things we do very well in the School of Education is getting our students into the classroom early with field experiences so they can get a sense of what it’s like to be a teacher. The idea is for them to learn, observe and interact with students and feel the environment of a classroom so they know what lies ahead,” Kuykendall explained.

Student-teachers are encouraged to process those observations starting in the first year of training – an element that Kuykendall says sets the school’s education programs apart.

“That’s been very powerful. We do a really good job here of designing lessons so that our students can reflect on what they’re experiencing in the classroom early,” he said.

In his own research, Kuykendall is interested in what drives student success, specifically among African-American student populations during the first year of college.

“For African-Americans, typically when they come to college, they are sometimes first generation, under-resourced to finance their education and they also have to make adjustments to a majority climate. All of those factors can contribute to whether they’re successful in their first year,” he explained. “It’s very important to know what resources they need on the front end so they can be supported through their college education.”

Forty percent of UIndy students are first-generation college students, and Kuykendall is applying his research to benefit student outcomes. He is collaborating with Jennifer Smith, director of student equity and success, to help students be more successful on campus in their freshman and sophomore years.

In his role as dean, Kuykendall is focused on expanding program offerings, as well as maximizing opportunities for faculty research. An early childhood education program aimed at adult learners will be introduced.

“We want to establish a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College to recruit students with associate degrees so they can smoothly transition into our program and complete their early childhood licensure,” Kuykendall said.

Another new program slated for fall 2019 is the special education director’s track. Long-term, Kuykendall says, the School of Education is looking at ways to establish a school partnership within the community, and to explore a doctoral program in leadership studies.

“We want to connect strongly with an elementary school in the area so students will have the opportunity to go into a school at their own time and pace and work with students in STEM education,” said Kuykendall, who also hopes to build a makerspace on campus for students to work with community members on creative educational solutions.

Another key focus for Kuykendall is faculty research. He’s looking at innovative solutions that will allow faculty to attend more conferences, conduct more research and consider new ways to partner with local schools are all part of that strategy.

“We really want to embrace the scholar practitioner model. If you’re out in the schools, you can support what your students do through solid research. In order to be a strong faculty member, you have to be able to have research in certain areas that can inform practice,” he explained.

Learn more about the UIndy School of Education

Debra Feakes, dean of the University of Indianapolis Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences

Amid the growing consensus about the importance of STEM education to tackle complex global issues, Debra Feakes, dean of the Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Indianapolis, offers insight on the continuing significance of the liberal arts.

“General education outcomes like teamwork, communication, critical thinking and reasoning are equally important as getting that STEM education. Somebody who can combine the two of those and communicate well at all levels is a powerful graduate,” Feakes explained.

As dean of the Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences, Feakes describes herself as an advocate of the general education core curriculum. Her perspective has evolved over more than two decades in higher education to embrace the idea that STEM skills are connected to the humanities in critical ways, which is a concept she champions in her role.

Emphasizing the relevance of the liberal arts and the value of a well-rounded education is a primary component of Feakes’ long-term strategy for the Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences, comprised of 20 undergraduate and 9 graduate programs.

“Part of the task for colleges of arts and sciences across the nation is to recognize the contributions from these fields. We need to focus on making what we do meaningful to the public and demonstrate how this work has a broader positive impact,” Feakes said.

Feakes came to appreciate the humanities through her mother, whose interest in the arts acted as a counterweight to Feakes’ science-oriented academic career. Feakes earned a doctorate in chemistry from Utah State University in 1991, but the subject matter didn’t always come easy.

“I got average grades, but chemistry was a passion. I realized I could be challenged every single day as I took the career path,” Feakes said. “I truly believe that anybody can do what they want, as long as they’re passionate about it.”

An important component of her student experience that she draws from as an educator, including 24 years at Texas State University and now as dean at UIndy, is centered in helping students unravel layers of complexity.

“There’s a perception from students that if you’re teaching chemistry, chemistry was easy for you. I understand how difficult it was to grasp, so I was able to use that to help develop my teaching skills, and how better to explain things and make it relevant to students,” Feakes said.

Feakes introduces the
the Gala Opening Concert of the 2018-19 Faculty Artist Concert Series, featuring Maestro Raymond Leppard.

Raising awareness among high school students and undeclared majors about potential careers is another goal for Feakes in her role as dean.

“When I went to school, I knew people who wanted to be an art historian or chemist. But nobody told me they wanted to be in experience design. I’d like to look at how we can bring the students in and show them potential careers that they might not have considered before,” Feakes explained.

Exploring the field to its full potential is a common theme in Feakes’ own career. As an inorganic chemist, she specializes in boron neutron capture therapy, a treatment designed to target tumor cells for patients with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. Her interest in chemical education research led her to the area of supplemental instruction, which she applied across the chemistry program as associate chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas State.

Under the supplemental instruction model, students who excelled in chemistry courses were invited back and paid to model good student behavior in class, such as taking notes or asking questions. Those former students also held study sessions to help current students learn study skills.

Supplemental instruction is one example of Feakes’ work as interim associate director of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research at Texas State, which aims to improve access and opportunity for participation in STEM careers. High-impact practices also included first-year experience classes targeted for specific majors, early internship opportunities, undergraduate research and learning assistants.

“There are mechanisms to improve retention rates at UIndy and those are just some of the things that we can look at,” Feakes explained.

As the first female tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas State, Feakes says she appreciates the value of female, minority and disability role models in STEM fields.

“If we’re truly going to embrace diversity, we need all of those opinions,” she said.

Learn more about the Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Indianapolis

The University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community (CAC) has been awarded a contract by the Indiana State Department of Health to develop and implement a training program to help long-term care facilities create detailed emergency disaster management plans that meet new Center Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations on emergency planning and provide the highest quality of care for older adults in an emergency situation.

CAC partnered with the university’s Department of Criminal Justice to secure the contract for the training, which will be offered regionally throughout the state as a combination of online modules and face-to-face instruction. Topics to be covered include emergency and disaster management (EDM) planning best practices, special needs of vulnerable adults in long term care facilities, CMS regulations, and collaborative exercises to simulate emergency operations.

“We’ve seen in the national media how emergencies and natural disasters can catch nursing facilities off guard if they are not adequately prepared,” said Ellen Burton, CAC senior project director.

In addition to the CAC project team, two University of Indianapolis faculty members will provide expertise in the development and presentation of the training. They are Kara Cecil, MPH, assistant professor in the Masters of Public Health Program, and Bill Reckert, instructor in the UIndy Emergency and Disaster Management Program.

Cecil has an extensive research background in mitigating risk to vulnerable populations in many environments, including the workplace, care facilities, and during and after emergency situations. Reckert served 30 years as a member of the Indiana State Police (ISP) Emergency Response Team (SWAT) and Explosive Ordinance Disposal team, where he worked on state and national full-scale exercises, developed an anthrax program for ISP, and created a suspicious package program for the Governor’s Office, Indiana House and Senate.

“The field of criminal justice is centered on bringing order in emergency situations,” said Kevin Whiteacre, chair of the department of criminal justice. “I’m excited about this partnership with CAC and the State of Indiana where we can share our expertise in this area.”

The first of the EDM in Long Term Care trainings is scheduled for March 2019. Click here for more information about this and other CAC consulting projects, or contact Ellen Burton, senior project director.

Written by Amy Magan, communications manager for the Center for Aging & Community and the College of Health Sciences.