Huntington University is pleased to announce that the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) has Granted a Status of Accreditation for a period of seven years to Huntington University’s Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy (OTD program) in Arizona. Seven years is the maximum number of years a new program can be accredited by ACOTE.
ACOTE’s endorsement is vital because without accreditation students cannot take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Certification Examination. The NBCOT exam is the gateway for graduates to obtain licensure within their desired state.
HU received ACOTE accreditation for its OTD program located in Fort Wayne in 2016. This location also received the maximum seven-year accreditation. The HU Arizona OTD location received accreditation candidacy status in the fall of 2020.
“Achieving accreditation by the ACOTE is an important milestone in the founding of a graduate program in occupational therapy. We feel very thankful and blessed to have been granted full accreditation. This is the culmination of a long process of work involving me and the faculty,” said Evelyn Andersson, PhD, OTR/L, program director for OTD Arizona.
HU Arizona's Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy (OTD program) is a three-year full-time degree program that accepted its first cohort of students in January of 2021. Since then, the program has boasted a 100% retention rate.
“Our program is designed to prepare graduates to provide state of the art occupational therapy services for people in the communities where they live,” said Andersson. “Our program aims to provide students with portfolios to be ready for future changing healthcare environments, marginalized populations, and emerging practice areas. We aspire to develop future practitioners who are equipped with ethics and values of cultural humility, ready to serve diverse groups of people, enabling everyone to participate at their full capacity in their valued occupations, thereby contributing to their communities, especially in the state of Arizona.”
To learn more about HU Arizona's OTD program, visit huntington.edu/Graduate/Occupational-Therapy/Arizona.
Huntington University Arizona opened its doors in 2016, welcoming students seeking a degree in digital media arts. The location expanded in 2021 to include doctoral level students seeking their doctoral degree in occupational therapy. HU Arizona is one of four locations of Huntington University. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America’s Best Colleges. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The nonprofit university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
On Saturday, February 4, at 2:00 p.m., the Purdue Men’s Varsity Glee Club will be performing in the Merillat Center for the Arts at Huntington University for a 90-minute concert. Purdue Varsity Glee Club members have proudly served as ambassadors of Purdue University for more than 125 years. Founded in 1893, this ensemble has performed for campus, community, state, national, and international events, including six U.S. presidential inaugurations and a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II. Glee Club members represent different backgrounds and hometowns in Indiana and across the world, consistently maintaining a high level of academic excellence with majors ranging from engineering to education to agriculture to biological sciences.
This dynamic musical troupe of 68 young men employs a versatile repertoire including gospel, vocal jazz, traditional hymns, swing, contemporary hits, romantic ballads, classical choral selections, barbershop, folk melodies, patriotic standards, familiar opera choruses, country, and novelty tunes, and utilizes small groups and outstanding soloists to further enhance each show. The Glee Club shares a sound all its own through one-of-a-kind arrangements in tailor-made performances for audiences of all ages. HU’s own Treblemakers will be joining PVGC onstage for part of the performance.
Tickets range from $10-15 and are available online at huntington.edu/mca/box-office.
Open auditions for HUTC’s production of Meet Me in St. Louis will be held on Thursday, January 19, between 3:00-6:00 p.m., with callbacks immediately following auditions. These auditions are open to any Huntington community member. Interested individuals can sign up for a timeslot online.
Meet Me in St. Louis is the stage adaptation of the classic 1944 film musical that examines one year in the life of the Smith family, who live in St. Louis just as the 1904 World's Fair is preparing to take place there — until the father's New York job offer threatens to take them away. The musical will run from March 30 - April 1, 2023.
For these auditions, there will be both a musical audition and a dance call. For the musical audition, please prepare 16-32 bars (no more than a minute) of a musical theatre song from a show written before 1965 (but NOT from Meet Me in St. Louis). An accompanist will be present; please bring sheet music in the key in which you will be singing it.
Dance auditions will also be on Thursday, January 19. You do not need to sign up for a time slot to participate in dance auditions, but you do need to learn the dance combination in this video and come prepared to perform it in small groups. A video of your audition will be sent to the choreographer.
To learn more, contact Director Ryan Long at rlong@huntington.edu.
INDIANAPOLIS—Huntington University’s RichLyn Library, a founding institution of the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI), is proudly celebrating the consortium’s 30th anniversary in 2022. Since its first library-to-library collaboration in the 1980s, PALNI has worked to advance the educational missions of its supported institutions by sharing resources and leveraging expertise. The consortium was approved as a nonprofit organization in 1992 and has grown to support 24 private colleges, universities and seminaries—serving more than 47,500 students and faculty throughout the state.
“PALNI is a trailblazer in collaboration at scale,” says Kirsten Leonard, PALNI Executive Director. “We are proud to be an organization that consortia worldwide turn to for guidance in leveraging the staff expertise within their supported institutions’ libraries to improve services to students, reduce duplication of efforts, and affordably provide a positive impact to the institutional mission that rivals larger research libraries.”
During its first three decades, PALNI has navigated the evolving challenges of higher education to attain notable success. What began as a joint initiative among libraries to make automation more affordable has transformed into a leading example of what it takes for academic libraries to work together and achieve more at scale. All supported institutions appoint a library dean or director to serve on PALNI’s board of directors, providing strategic and financial direction. Noelle Keller, Director of Library Services, represents Huntington University on the PALNI board.
Some of PALNI’s recent accomplishments include:
“Deep collaboration among PALNI librarians is a result of deep trust which has developed over the years. Our common commitment to offering the best possible services to our campuses has given us the drive to look for new ways to work together,” says Tonya Fawcett, Director of Library Services at Grace College and Theological Seminary and PALNI Board Chair. “So much of what we do is behind the scenes of the library front desk or website. But that is where we put in the work to provide our students and faculty the resources to learn and succeed in their fields of study.”
Across higher education, revenue is being squeezed while costs rise and the number of high school graduates declines. These challenges have required a significant shift in strategy for institutions around the idea of collaboration and partnership to strengthen their campuses in the years ahead. Many colleges and universities are looking to consortia like PALNI, which has been effectively pooling resources and expertise since its inception, as a model for the future.
“Over the years, PALNI has grown and changed in response to supported organizations’ library needs,” says Karl Stutzman, Director of Library Services at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and PALNI Board Member. “On their own, libraries at relatively small schools lack the financial and human resources to deliver the services required to attract and retain students at their institutions. But together, PALNI libraries find that it’s not only possible to deliver these services, but it’s also something we can do with excellence.”
Academic libraries are not static organizations; they have historically been among the first to respond to changes in their institutions and higher education, despite diminishing budgetary and staff support. PALNI’s strengths lie in its community of experts’ ability to innovate and adapt to meet students’ needs, especially during times of uncertainty, and to share that work across their campuses.
“Without our PALNI colleagues, we could not offer the services our students, faculty, and administration have come to expect from our libraries,” says Fawcett. “PALNI’s joint effort to create a digital repository has expanded our reach to the other side of the globe as we have made our dissertations and theses discoverable and accessible online. Additionally, the amount and scope of the libraries’ resources have expanded exponentially. We are able to focus on our local collection specialties while simultaneously offering a wider range of academic resources from PALNI libraries, which can be delivered quickly and efficiently.”
Under the guidance of its Strategic Framework 2020-2023, PALNI strives to enhance the teaching and learning missions of its supported institutions through five areas of focus:
This framework is a dynamic planning tool that allows PALNI to evaluate needs and set priorities, adjusting action plans to optimize the consortium’s time, resources and expertise. Simultaneously, PALNI is expanding collaboration within its institutions and with external library partners to address challenges and build cost-effective services well into the future.
For information about PALNI, its supported institutions, and initiatives, visit the consortium online.
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About the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana
The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) is a non-profit organization that supports collaboration for library and information services for 24 colleges, universities and seminaries throughout the state. From its inception in 1992, the PALNI collaboration has been a key avenue for its supported institutions to contain costs while providing more effective library services. More recently, PALNI has adopted a model of deep collaboration that pools resources and people as a tool to expand services while keeping costs down. PALNI’s board of directors, composed of all 24 library deans and directors from the supported organizations, convened a Future Framing Task Force in 2019 to address ongoing demographic challenges in higher education. The board has escalated this work in the wake of COVID-19, as the consortium seeks to manage the increased need for online support while reducing costs. Simultaneously, PALNI is expanding collaboration within its institutions and with external library partners to address challenges and build cost-effective services. Visit the PALNI website for more information.
PALNI Supported Institutions
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary | Anderson University | Bethel University | Butler University | Concordia Theological Seminary | Christian Theological Seminary | DePauw University | Earlham College | Franklin College | Goshen College | Grace College | Hanover College | Huntington University | Manchester University | Marian University | Oakland City University | University of Saint Francis | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | Saint Mary’s College | Saint Meinrad’s Seminary and School of Theology | Taylor University | Trine University | University of Indianapolis | Wabash College
About Huntington University
Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering award-winning graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Founded in Huntington, Indiana, in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University has over a century of experience educating graduates who are ready to impact the world for Christ through scholarship and service. The nonprofit university operates at three academic locations, including the original home campus in Huntington, a doctoral program in occupational therapy location in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and an undergraduate and doctoral program location in Peoria, Arizona. Online programs are also available. Huntington University’s home campus offers 17 men’s and women’s athletic programs, and the university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
Huntington University congratulates the 2022 alumni award recipients: Greg Smitley, Class of 1980, and Kevin Byerley, Class of 2000. Smitley is receiving the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and Byerley is receiving the Alumnus of the Year Award.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award is designed to recognize distinguished service or achievement over a longer period of time (like a lifetime achievement award). Those who nominated Greg Smitley for this award painted a very clear picture of a man who is invested in his community, cares about making a difference and strives for excellence and growth.
Smitley has made a career in the banking industry for more than 40 years. He has served in a variety of roles, from branch manager to senior lender to bank president. He distinguished himself among his peers by being selected as the Indiana representative to the Bankers Advisory Board of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the nation’s most prestigious banking school. In his final year on the Board, he was selected as chairman and served on the Education Committee and as a guest lecturer. Additionally, he has served his local community through his involvement in many organizations, including Junior Achievement, the Grabill Town Board, Huntington County Economic Development, Rotary International, and the Huntington County Community Foundation Board.
He has served his alma mater as Alumni Board president and as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Excellence (PACE), the Huntington University Foundation Board and the Board of Trustees. Smitley was HU’s vice president for finance for five years. His time in that position was marked by notable developments that included negotiating the lease and directing remodeling for the Arizona location, coordinating construction of the Ware Plant Science Production Facility (greenhouse) and the new admissions wing, outsourcing maintenance services to a professional maintenance company, installing heating and cooling in Becker Hall, the relocation of the Academic Center for Excellence and board room in RichLyn Library, the occupational therapy assistant lab, the Multicultural House, and updating the University's fleet of vehicles. He was also instrumental in beginning the planning stages for the HUB remodel and what is now the Don Strauss Animal Science Education Center.
The Alumnus of the Year Award is designed to recognize recent outstanding achievement, recognition or service. This award may not be given each year and may not be limited to one alumnus per year.
Kevin Byerley received multiple nominations for this award, and while reading through them, the Huntington University Alumni Association quickly saw some common themes. Words like “mentor” were common in the nominations. Phrases like “true leader” and “passion for helping kids” were repeated. Though his career of helping others is vast and his impact is far reaching, it is his leadership of Elevate USA that has earned him this award.
Byerley joined Colorado UpLift in 2002, first as a teacher-mentor working with the youth of Southwest Denver. His passion for helping kids led him to develop the Adventure Program, where students use the outdoor classroom to build resiliency. He later served as director of staff operation, utilizing his experience building high-functioning teams to bring the staff together in collaboration. Today, Kevin serves as CEO of Elevate USA, where he helps ensure that they build a national culture of “best practice” innovation and mission alignment with the affiliates they serve. As a first-generation undergraduate and graduate degree holder, Kevin models for students the importance of education and character and uses his platform as CEO to advocate for the “unseen, unknown, and unheard.”
Visit HU’s YouTube page to see the award recipient videos.
Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering award-winning graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Founded in Huntington, Indiana, in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University has over a century of experience educating graduates who are ready to impact the world for Christ through scholarship and service. The nonprofit university operates at three academic locations, including the original home campus in Huntington, a doctoral program in occupational therapy location in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and an undergraduate and doctoral program location in Peoria, Arizona. Online programs are also available. Huntington University’s home campus offers 17 men’s and women’s athletic programs, and the university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges
The Huntington University Foundation is pleased to announce that Steve Ness, owner of Ness Bros. Realtors & Auctioneers, will receive the 2022 Distinguished Service Award on December 14 at the December Foundation Breakfast.
Ness, a Huntington County native who has successfully run a real estate and auction business for more than 40 years, has long been a supporter of Huntington University — particularly the men’s basketball program. He spearheaded efforts to start the Meet the Team event during the Steve Platt coaching years, and that event has continued for decades. Additionally, Ness sponsors the Hall of Fame Classic tournament each November.
“Steve is certainly recognized as a leader in our community,” said Peggy Platt, wife of Steve Platt and friend of the Ness family. “When he is asked to help with something, [Steve] never says ‘I’ll try.’ He responds with, ‘I’d be glad to!’”
According to nominators, Steve has been very active with the Huntington County 4-H Horse & Pony project, the annual 4-H auction of livestock during the Fair and the biennial 4-H fundraising auction — all at no charge or fee to the 4-H program.
The Huntington University Foundation established the Distinguished Service Award in 2002 to recognize individuals or organizations that embody the principles associated with the mission of the University. Recipients are chosen because they give substance and credence to the University's beliefs, make significant contributions to Huntington County and serve as effective role models for students. The Foundation Breakfast will take place in Habecker Dining Commons. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast will be served at 7:45 a.m. The cost is $12 per person but is free to first-time attenders. RSVPs are appreciated.
Founded in 1938, the Huntington University Foundation exists to support the mission of the University by promoting education and fostering a synergistic relationship between the University and the Huntington County community and surrounding area. To learn more about the Foundation’s history and ways to support its goals, visit huntington.edu/Foundation.
On October 21-22, Huntington University hosted its first Spirit of a Forester Scholarship Competition. The process for attendees included an onsite extemporaneous essay and faculty/staff interviews as well as opportunities for extra credit that aligned with the University’s Spirit of a Forester traits. The competition awarded scholarships ranging from full tuition to $16,000. The recipient of the full tuition scholarship is Matthew Nasir from Elletsville, Indiana. Nasier plans to study history and political science with a focus on pre-law.
Additional scholarship recipients include the following:
The Spirit of a Forester Scholarship Competition is a two-day event including a dinner and evening programing on Friday and a competition day on Saturday. A second Spirit of a Forester Scholarship Competition will take place in February 2023. If you would like additional information, please email admissions@huntington.edu.
Dr. Paul R. Fetters knew soon after his conversion to Christ at age 17 that he was meant to be a pastor. Through mentors and friends and the constant presence of God in his life, Paul found his way from being a farm boy in Ohio to being a scholar, theologian, pastor, author, mentor, and leader.
Not the first to seek out the role of leader, Paul was always one to take it seriously. From his collegiate days of leading Homecoming queen campaigns to leading Huntington University’s Graduate School of Christian Ministries (at the age of only 38), Paul understood that leadership happens when those around you understand and believe in your cause. He believed “that the best way to ensure the success of any program is to cause as many people as possible to have a stake in its success or failure.”
Never taking his success for granted, Paul made teaching an integral part of his life. For a child who “by his own estimation did not really have the right to occupy his 18 inches of [desk] space,” 1 he went on to become a gifted — and beloved — teacher. As he often did, Paul used his experiences and what he learned from those who came before him. His sophomore teacher, for instance, helped him discover his love of literature. He grew over time in his own abilities to teach and educate those around him.
A lifelong scholar, Paul graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Huntington College, in 1959 with a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Huntington College Theological Seminary, in 1969 with a Master of Divinity degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, in 1975 with a Master of Science degree in educational counseling from Saint Francis College, and in 1980 with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Huntington College in 2003.
Paul lived his life adhering to the motto “Welcome is the will of God.” When God called, Paul answered, and he answered with a willing and open heart. Throughout his life he saw and sought opportunities to remind people of the power of prayer and the goodness of God. At the dedication of Fetters Chapel in 2008, he expressed a desire that the space would be “a place to meet God, to admit the emotion of the heart, to affirm the events of life, and to allow God to have the last word.”
Paul Fetters went to be with the Lord on October 31, 2022. His life and legacy will be remembered by the thousands of lives he impacted through his teaching in a classroom and sermons from a pulpit, his numerous books, his “Atta Boy” and “Atta Girl” notes, or, perhaps, simply through the way he led a life worthy of the calling he received.
Huntington University Arizona students took home seven Student Production Awards for their 17 nominations at the 2022 Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards. These Awards are intended to recognize excellence in the academic pursuit of skills necessary to produce outstanding quality multimedia content for the television industry.
“To see our HU Arizona students continue to represent so well at the Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards is incredibly encouraging,” said Dr. Lance Clark, dean of the arts and professor of digital media arts at Huntington University. “Each year these students show up competing against schools significantly larger than we are, and they outshine the competition. It’s inspiring!”
HU Arizona recipients include
Category: Documentary SNAPSHOT Xander Martin
Category: Music Video WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Tommy Pascale, Cheyanne Glazier, Chloe Cosette
Category: Photographer BLAGODARNYY Alex Kennedy
Category: Audio/Sound UPSIDE DOWN Mathew Molyneux
Category: Fiction Long Form BLAGODARNYY Alex Kennedy
Category: Director BLAGODARNYY Alex Kennedy
Category: Animation HEART BROKE Shanon McNeil
The Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards are “a membership organization dedicated to excellence in television by honoring exceptional work with the prestigious Emmy® Award." This year they received over 850 entries from media producers from all over their multi-state region of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and El Centro, California.
All Student Production Award winners can be found online at rockymountainemmy.org/student-awards/.
Huntington University Arizona opened its doors in 2016, welcoming students seeking a degree in digital media arts. Since that time, students have created regionally and nationally awarded work, including ADDY awards, BEA Best of Fest awards, and Emmy Student Production Awards. The 30,000-square-foot building houses bachelor’s degree programs in animation, film production, broadcast media, and graphic design. The facility features film and TV studios, high-end computer classroom/labs, private editing suites, a state-of-the-art TV control room, a Foley pit, a host of EFP and cinema cameras, and lighting gear for student production work.
Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America’s Best Colleges. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The nonprofit university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
Phil Wilson, program director and assistant professor of film at Huntington University Arizona, is the recipient of an Emmy for his work as cinematographer for “An Ode to John Keating.” His Emmy was in the Lighting Location or Studio Category at the 2022 Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards.
“I feel blessed and fortunate to represent Huntington University Arizona in this way,” said Wilson. “Two years ago, I set a goal for myself to create an Emmy award-winning piece. I submitted multiple entries over the span of two years, and finally had one hit. What I learned through the process is to set goals, work hard and let God take care of the rest.”
Wilson pointed out that this project wouldn’t have been possible without leveraging HU Arizona as the production company.
“This was a zero budget project,” said Wilson. “This project just wouldn’t have been possible without the ample access I have at HU Arizona to equipment, studio spaces, and talented film students.”
Two specific HU Arizona students cited by Wilson were Cameron Taylor and Taylor Kos.
“To have an Emmy award winning faculty member on our faculty is just one more feather in the cap demonstrating the high level of teaching and instruction that our students are receiving at our Arizona center,” said Dr. Lance Clark, dean of the arts and professor of digital media arts at Huntington University.
To view the “Ode to John Keating” project, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ni4LmAFow.
All Emmy winners can be found online at https://rockymountainemmy.org/emmy-awards/emmy-awards-archives/2022-emmy-awards-nominees-and-recipients/.
The community of Huntington and the surrounding counties are invited to join the Huntington University Foundation for its annual Foundation Breakfast series. The series kicks off on October 12 and continues through April of 2023.
This series has a great list of speakers:
October – Linda Walczak, director of expansions and retention at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation Topic: Growth and Innovation in Indiana
November – Kevin Erb, owner/principal of Palisade Partners Topic: GE Electric Works
December – Dr. George Killian, associate professor of music Topic: HU Christmas Concert
January – Monte Sieberns, owner of Z103.com Topic: Music in the Dark
February – Ron Turpin, CFO of Ambassador Enterprises Topic: Business as Mission
March – Mitch Frazier, President of AgriNovus Topic: Agbioscience: Creating Impact Through Innovation
April – Jonathan Sacket, vice president of marketing and communication at the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership Topic: Advertising with the Best
To RSVP for each breakfast, visit huntington.edu/FoundationRSVP.
The Foundation Breakfast series is held on the second Wednesday of each month, October-December and January-April, and is open to the public. Each breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m. and concludes by 9:00 a.m. Breakfasts take place in the upper level of Habecker Dining Commons on Huntington University’s home campus.
The cost to attend each breakfast is $10, a portion of which will help support area students attending HU through the Hometown Grant. First-time attendees enjoy a complimentary breakfast courtesy of The Purviance House Bed and Breakfast, Barb and Brooks Fetters, proprietors.
Founded in 1938, the Huntington University Foundation exists to support the mission of the University by promoting education and fostering a synergistic relationship between the University and the Huntington County community and surrounding area. Learn more about the Foundation’s history and ways to support its goals at huntington.edu/Foundation.
Huntington University has much to celebrate in 2022, including its 125th birthday and another year of record enrollment. Official numbers for the fall of 2022 mark the highest enrollment in University history, with 1,428 students, up from 1,364 in 2021.
“The University has grown 27% in the last decade,” said Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president. “In fact, this year’s class is the largest number of incoming students on record. We are seeing encouraging growth at each of our locations, with particularly exciting growth in Arizona, which has grown by 77% since its opening in 2017.”
Welcoming 978 undergraduate students on HU’s home campus in Huntington, Indiana, and 154 undergraduate students at the HU Arizona location in Peoria, Arizona, the University continues to be encouraged by the student populations at both locations and in niche programs, including film, occupational therapy assistant (OTA) and agriculture. The film program is up 6%, and OTA and ag are both up 18%.
“These are signature programs for us,” said Emberton, speaking specifically of film, OTA and agriculture. “Our faculty, staff and Board of Trustees saw the need in the market for each of these programs, and we have created the right program with the right faculty and the right experiential learning opportunities to fit that need.”
Emberton went on to point out that the University’s Arizona location is thriving as well, with a 21% increase in enrollment in the digital media animation program and a 34% increase in the film production program.
The increase in enrollment also correlates with an increase in the number of states represented among the student body. In the fall of 2021, students came from 31 states. Today, students represent 40 states, hailing from as far east as Connecticut and as far west as Alaska and Hawaii.
This year’s class also represents 67 of the 92 counties in Indiana. Indiana continues to be the biggest pool for students, with Arizona, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois also being significant contributors to the record growth.
Degree-seeking students enrolled as first-time freshmen range from 17-61 years of age. Minority students make up 19% of the 2022-2023 student body, which is also an increase for the University.
Huntington University has received a $100,000 gift toward the transformation of the PLEX from First Federal Savings Bank and the Zahn family.
"Huntington University is a wonderful asset to have in our community. First Federal Savings Bank and the Zahn family are dedicated to help make Huntington the best version of itself. By supporting the University, which has been a pillar of Huntington for 125 years, that fits into the Bank’s and family’s mission,” said Michael Zahn, president/CEO of First Federal Savings Bank. “We are fortunate to be able to support the University and look forward to the next 125 years."
Work has officially begun on the PLEX transformation. This $18.7 million project will upgrade the 90,000-plus-square-foot facility to a best-in-class venue. Once complete, the PLEX will feature three large arena and gym spaces, substantially expanded weight and cardio areas, a large entry lobby, hospitality suites, a pro shop, a hall of fame, and larger classrooms.
“First Federal Savings Bank and the Zahn family have been incredible community partners for the University for many years,” said Stephen Weingart, vice president for university advancement. “The Forester Family is grateful for their continued support, and we look forward to seeing how this gift will impact home campus and the community.”
To learn more about the PLEX project or to be a part of the PLEX campaign, visit huntington.edu/PLEX.
Huntington University has received an $800,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative Indiana Youth Programs on Campus. HU will use the funds, which will be dispersed over the next three years, to fund a variety of Indiana youth learning and engagement opportunities on campus.
“This grant is the catalyst for Huntington University to launch Forester Camp,” said Matthew Gerlach, director of academic camping. “Forester Camp is HU’s vision for a series of year-round day and overnight camp experiences that provide fun, engaging, and experiential learning opportunities for elementary and high school kids.”
Lilly’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus initiative is a response to the changing demographics and recent and expected declines in the number of college-going students. Through this initiative, the hope is that Indiana colleges and universities — like Huntington University — will offer more tangible onsite experiences for all Indiana high school students to experience what a higher education may look like. Specifically, however, this initiative will further Indiana’s efforts to recruit and educate more students of color, first generation college students, and students from families with limited resources.
“If a Hoosier kid wants to attend a camp, we want to remove any barriers to attending that they may have,” said Gerlach. “Financial barriers are, of course, an obvious challenge for some families, but perhaps a more common barrier is a level of comfort with the location or camp timeframe. For instance, if a family has no experience with a college campus, the idea of coming to one for a full week might be intimidating. The goal of Forester Camp is to remove those barriers by creating a variety of ways to experience these camps.”
Forester Camp will offer three specific camp experiences: summer overnight camps, summer day camps, and day camps during the academic year. Building on HU’s already positive summer academy offerings, Foresters Camp will continue to offer — and enhance — the current camp options such as Film Camp, Animation Camp, Voice & Performance Camp, and Agbioscience Camp but will also create options for camps focused on nursing, occupational therapy, college prep and more.
Additionally, established events such as StoryCon will be absorbed into the Forester Camp portfolio as day camps. StoryCon, which was created by the Department of English at HU, is an annual event focused on teaching attendees about writing everything from novels and plays to epic poems, screenplays, graphic novels and more.
“By leveraging events like StoryCon as part of the Forester Camp offerings, the opportunities for Hoosier youth to be a part of college campus experiences — regardless of family history of university attendance, funding, or other possible barriers — increase and grow,” said Gerlach.
Visit huntington.edu/ForesterCamp to learn more about what Huntington University is doing and dreaming for the youth of Indiana.
The Go Baby Go (GBG) Fort Wayne chapter, which was founded by Audrey Bruce, OTD, OTR/L, and 2021 graduate of HU’s OTD program, is gearing up for a fall of fun for kids with mobility challenges. The three-step series of events began on September 10, and the wrap-up event will take place on October 22.
Go Baby Go, founded in 2012 by Dr. Cole Galloway at the University of Delaware, aims to increase mobility and independence for children with a wide range of abilities. The Fort Wayne chapter of GBG was founded in 2021 by an HU OTD student (at the time of founding) as part of her doctoral capstone project. Go Baby Go brings together occupational/physical therapists, engineers, students and volunteers to create specialized adaptive ride-on cars. This program provides opportunities for children in the community to participate in different play activities and engage more with their environment.
September 10 was Assessment Day, an opportunity for the GBG team to evaluate kids with mobility challenges and assess what their needs are.
October 1 is Build Day. Taking place at Huntington University’s Fort Wayne location, this is the day when positioning devices will be placed correctly in an adaptive ride-on car. These devices help children of varying abilities play and interact with other kids and are part of a more significant effort to assist children in playing and interacting with their environments as they grow up through adaptive ride-on cars.
October 22 is Get Your Keys Day, when kids actually get their GBG ride-on car. This event will take place at Turnstone Center for Children and Adults, where the kids will be able to drive their cars for the first time.
“This is a really special event that I think would be a great opportunity for everyone in the HU community to learn more about this fantastic organization and see the awesome work that this program provides for the children of the Fort Wayne community,” said Tyler Obear, a current OTD student at Huntington University and member of the GBG Fort Wayne chapter.
Prior to 2021, the closest chapter of the nationwide GBG program was in Indianapolis.
“Within the Fort Wayne area, we have the means to provide a service that enables children to socialize and move more independently,” said Obear. “With various partnerships within the community, establishing the GBG program in Fort Wayne ensures that the local community has more information on this topic so that a greater number of children with varying abilities can benefit. We can come together to provide a valuable service to these children and work together to establish a program that can continue to help serve the Fort Wayne community for generations to come.”
If you are interested in participating in any of the upcoming events, visit the GBG website at gbgfortwayne.org or email the GBG team at gbgfortwayne@gmail.com.
About Go Baby Go Fort Wayne: Go Baby Go Fort Wayne is a program launched in Fort Wayne by Audrey Bruce, OTD, OTR/L, with the first events being held in the spring of 2021. Go Baby Go, founded in 2012 by Dr. Cole Galloway at the University of Delaware, aims to increase mobility and independence for children with a wide range of abilities. Go Baby Go brings together occupational/physical therapists, engineers, students and volunteers to create specialized adaptive ride-on cars. This program provides opportunities for children in the community to participate in different play activities and engage more in their environment.
Huntington University Arizona once again made their presence known in the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Student Production Award nominees list for 2022. With 17 nominations, HU Arizona’s nominees are hoping for a strong showing at the awards ceremony on October 1.
Additionally, two freshmen at HU Arizona received nominations in the high school category. Brandon Zukas and Ian Allen attended high schools in the Peoria Unified School District.
Students weren’t the only ones to receive nominations this fall. Phil Wilson, digital media arts program director at Huntington University Arizona, also received two professional Emmy nominations, one for his work as director and the other for his skills in lighting.
Student Production Award nominations connected to HU Arizona are as follows:
Becoming Jose Sifuentes, director
Snapshot Xander Martin, director
What Would You Do? Tommy Pascale, director Cheyanne Glazier, producer/editor Chloe Cosette, producer/director of photography
Upside Down Mathew Molyneux, writer Anika Sorum, writer/editor
Blagodarnyy Alex Kennedy, producer/editor
Speechless Tatyana Keller, director
Heart Broke Shanon Mcneil, director
Waves of Emotion Sabrina Hirsch, producer
Upside Down Mathew "Smallz" Molyneux, sound mixer
Waves of Emotion Sabrina Hirsch, director
Upside Down Anika Sorum, director
Blagodarnyy Alex Kennedy, director
Oblivion Cheyanne Glazier, editor
Upside Down Mathew Molyneux, editor
Blagodarnyy Alex Kennedy, cinematographer
Upside Down Mathew "Smallz" Molyneux, cinematographer
Oblivion Chloe Cosette, cinematographer
Liberty High School Ian Allen Lightsaber Dual Liberty High School PSBN Ian Allen, editor/director/producer
Daktronics Dream Come True Peoria Unified School District Brandon Zukas, producer/editor
The Rev. Dr. Kent Eilers, professor of theology at Huntington University, has published his fifth book, Reading Theology Wisely: A Practical Introduction.
“Eilers takes a well-rounded approach to his subject [theology], utilizing Scripture and the wisdom of past thinkers as well as references to film and the arts—including a special emphasis on architecture as part of an ongoing metaphor of ‘inhabiting texts’ as we do physical spaces,” said the publisher, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, in the book’s online description. “Each chapter ends with a prayer and questions for reflection and discussion, followed by a ‘theology lab’ in which readers can put the content of the preceding chapter into practice.”
“I wrote to make the activity of reading theology more human and more communal,” said Eilers, pointing out that students often experience reading as an individual activity, and the words on the page seem to drop from nowhere. But reading theology is actually something intensely personal yet impactful for entire communities.
“I also wanted to help students connect the activity of reading theology with everything else they care about and do as Christians,” he said, citing an excerpt from the book:
“What if reading theology wasn’t mainly about grades or about our minds apart from life with God and with our neighbors? What if reading theology was about expanding our view of God, deepening our delight in his fellowship, moving us closer to our true selves in Christ, seeing our neighbors more as Jesus does, and propelling us into God’s works of justice and mercy? And what if it could even draw you closer to other Christians, generating life-giving conversations rather than division?”
This book was a multiyear project, including time spent working in close collaboration with artist Chris Koelle. Koelle created an original work of visual art for each chapter that, according to Eilers, “enlivens the experience for the reader. Concepts and ideas spring off the page with the help of Chris’ art!”
But perhaps most remarkable about this book is its dedication: “For my students.”
“Everything in the book I learned through the regular practice of reading theology in communities of hardworking students, many at Huntington,” said Eilers. “My students were integral to the development of this book, and everything in it springs from my experience teaching theology over many years.”
Eilers book is available online at https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/8178/reading-theology-wisely.aspx.
Drs. Nate Short and Joel Vilensky have published a functional anatomy book geared specifically toward entry-level occupational therapy faculty and students.
Short and Vilensky began co-teaching anatomy and kinesiology in 2014 when Huntington University launched its Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy. At that time, Short and Vilensky relied primarily on textbooks and resources from other disciplines. Realizing the need for a comprehensive OT-specific resource, they approached several publishers with the idea and eventually contracted with Books of Discovery, a publisher based in Colorado with a strong track record of publishing engaging, accessible anatomy resources with an emphasis on function (their Trail Guide to the Body textbook just sold its millionth copy). Books of Discovery provided robust support, including a developmental editor, real-time peer review from experts in the field, access to content from the Trail Guide to the Body books, and a prolific anatomy artist, Robin Dorn, who created original artwork geared toward occupational therapy.
“Dr. Vilensky and I had been teaching a functional anatomy course for OT students for several years, using a variety of resources from other disciplines, none of which were comprehensive resources geared to future occupational therapists,” said Dr. Short. “Our hope is that these complimentary resources, Functional Anatomy for Occupational Therapy and OT Guide to Goniometry and MMT (eTextbook), elevate the foundational knowledge-base of functional anatomy for future occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs), thereby improving patient care.”
An additional author, Carlos Suarez-Quian, developed cadaver images, which are paired with illustrations to provide students with an in-depth understanding of underlying anatomy. Suarez-Quian is a colleague of Vilensky’s who has taught anatomy in the medical school at Georgetown University for many years. He is a prolific anatomist with the unique gift of capturing detailed cadaveric dissections in photographs, and he supplied a comprehensive library of musculoskeletal images that were paired with illustrations in the textbook. For students, this offers a dual perspective of an actual human body and an artist’s rendering, helping to conceptualize the design and function of muscles and other body structures.
The text, entitled Functional Anatomy for Occupational Therapy, also includes a supplemental eTextbook, OT Guide to Goniometry and MMT, a comprehensive resource featuring photos and videos of range of motion (ROM) and manual muscle testing (MMT), common techniques in clinical practice. The photos and videos were recorded at a photo shoot in the musculoskeletal lab at
Parkview Hospital Randallia, and voiceovers were completed in the DMA studio on Huntington University’s home campus.
Huntington University is pleased to announce that Jim “The Rookie” Morris will be at HU’s Homecoming 2022 as a special speaker on Friday, October 7. Morris was a high school science teacher and coach in West Texas who miraculously made it the Major Leagues at the age of 35. His life story made cinematic history with the heartwarming and unforgettable Disney movie The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid.
“As a baseball fan, Jim Morris’ story is pretty near and dear to my heart,” said Stephen Weingart, vice president for univerity advancement. “But you don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate what he has to share. His story is one of perserverance, joy, hard work, faith and more. We want Foresters near and far to hear what Jim has to share.”
Morris’ appearance on campus is yet another in a list of events HU has hosted for the public as a part of its 125th Celebration.
“This is a ‘thank you’ again to this community who has supported this University and her students for 125 years,” said Weingart.
Morris pitched two seasons for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, reaching speeds up to 102 mph, and chose to retire to raise his children. Since 2000, Jim has been a highly sought-after motivational speaker, traveling the world inspiring audiences to follow their dreams and never give up.
In his latest book, Dream Makers: Surround Yourself with the Best to Be Your Best, Morris shares more of his incredible life story, including the people who helped make him the success he is today: his Dream Makers.
Morris has received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation and a CAMIE award for Character and Morality in Entertainment for The Rookie. He has been involved with BCFS, Arms of Hope, Texas Youth Commission and other philanthropic efforts, and he launched his own Foundation in 2015, giving back to underserved communities and children.
Morris and his wife, Shawna, have raised five children and live near San Antonio.
The Homecoming event will take place in Zurcher Auditorium in the Merillat Centre for the Arts. The event is free, but tickets are required. Visit huntington.edu/Rookie to reserve your tickets today.
Huntington University is pleased and humbled to announce that the Step Forward Comprehensive Campaign launched in the fall of 2014 has shattered all campaign goals and raised a total of $56,623,840. This is $22 million more than the original campaign goal, and it is the largest campaign in University history.
In 2014, the Huntington University Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive campaign of $34 million.
“For those of us in the room when that was decided, that was a large goal and frankly, a pretty daunting one,” said Tom Clounie, Advancement Committee chair. “And it had a ticking clock on it. We knew this campaign was intended to wrap up in 2022 as part of the University’s 125th birthday year.”
That $34 million figure included six capital projects and nine new academic program launches in addition to growing the endowment and scholarship funds. Prior to taking the campaign public, the campaign had already funded the 2015 renovations to Forest Glen Park, the 2016 construction of the new Welcome Center, and the 2017 completion of the Ware Plant Science Production Facility, but that was only the beginning.
“Seeing the faithfulness of God in this campaign and the success of the campaign to date, in the fall of 2019, on the recommendation of the Board of Trustees, the Step Forward Campaign goal was increased to $40 million,” said Clounie.
Fast forward to today and the campaign results.
Since the fall of 2014, Huntington University has invested over the projected $7.9 million in capital projects, including
As a comprehensive campaign, Step Forward surpassed additional campaign goals. Below are some key examples.
“The results of this campaign allow HU to move forward faster to accomplish the mission God has called us to do,” said Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University. "God’s faithfulness to the University through challenging times and a global pandemic is beyond evident in this campaign, not only in the capital projects completed and the dollars raised, but more importantly in the lives impacted. Nearly 400 additional graduates earned HU degrees as a direct result of this campaign. That’s a powerful statement to the steps of faith taken by so many since 2014.”