July 10, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "In the middle of my sophomore year at DePauw University in Greencastle, I had a chance to do a one-month internship in a hospital," recalls Mike Woodruff, senior pastor at Christ Church Lake Forest in suburban Chicago. The 1982 DePauw University graduate recalls, "I was pre-med at the time but did not fully appreciate what the life of doctor looked like." Pastor Woodruff recently completed a ten-week sabbatical, which included two weeks in Israel, and is featured in the Lake Forester.

During the aforementioned DePauw internship, Woodruff tells the newspaper, "I made the shocking discovery that hospitals are filled with sick people. I didn’t really like that. About that same time I felt called to work with college students -- to challenge them to consider the claims of Christ. After graduating from DePauw, I enrolled in a Master of Divinity program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School just down the street from here."

The pastor adds, "I'd been to the Middle East but not to Israel. I wanted to go in part because it was the right place to go if you are writing about Christ. But I also wanted to go just to 'walk in the footsteps' of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the four Gospels, but the land itself is sometimes referred to as the fifth Gospel. You really do see things differently after you’ve been there. History comes alive. The stories take on more texture. You gain a greater appreciation for his life and teaching ... The visit to Israel was more spiritually profound than I expected it to be. Holy places can be turned into tourist traps. You can get a T-shirt. You can get a coffee mug. It feels cheapened. I was a bit worried that would be one of my prevailing takeaways. But that’s not what I experienced. You can get all the Holy Land trinkets that you want, but there is something special about that part of the world." (photo at right by JR Geoffrion; www.jrgeoffrion.com)

You'll find the compete piece at the website of the Chicago Sun-Times.

In 1989, Mike Woodruff he founded The Ivy Jungle Network -- an association of men and women who minister to collegians. Today it loosely connects over 8,000 people on a monthly basis.

A psychology major at DePauw, Woodruff was president of The Christian International Scholarship Foundation (now named Scholar Leaders International)  from 1993 to 2006.  He has published more than 200 articles, and edited or written several books. In 2009, he presented the commencement address at Kansas' Sterling College.

July 10, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Mandy Jellerichs, a 1996 graduate of DePauw University, won yesterday's sprint triathlon sponsored by Knoxville, Tennessee's MCA. "I just moved here from Houston, Texas, in late March, with my husband, John," she tells the Knoxville News Sentinel, which covered the event. "Her move will certainly add another contender in local road racing and triathlon-type events," writes Dave Link.

"Jellerichs, 36, used Saturday's race as a tune-up for today's Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon -- an Olympic-distance event that consists of a mile swim, a 28-mile bike ride, and a 6.2-mile run. Saturday's Y Tri started with a 200-yard swim, followed by a 12K bike ride and a 4K run. Jellerichs' winning time was 40 minutes, 22 seconds," twenty seconds better than the runner-up. 

The article points out that Mandy (Nichols) Jellerichs finished eighth in her age group at a May 19 Ironman event in The Woodands, Texas.

"The former soccer player at DePauw (Ind.) University hasn't gotten to know many local runners because she's been too busy training since moving to Knoxville," notes Link.

"Right when I moved here I was in the heart of training for the Boston Marathon and the Ironman (Texas), so I was out doing my own thing and I didn't really meet that many people," Jellerichs tells the newspaper. "Now I'm coming back in and I'm going to find the biking groups and the running groups."

Access the complete article at the News Sentinel's website.

July 10, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "Finding career happiness seems to be what everyone wants these days," begins an MSNBC.com article. Eve Tahmincioglu writes, "When it comes to your job, the bottom line is you have to be realistic and not let the happiness hype control you." Her article offers "some tips from Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University, on retaining control of your career happiness."

A sidebar offers five suggestions for Langerud, including: "Be clear what career happiness means to you. Is it security? Control? Mobility? Income? Colleagues? Location? This first step requires brutal self-assessment and complete honesty." 

You'll find the complete story at MSNBC's website.

Steve Langerud has helped more than 15,000 people with workplace issues and is regularly quoted in articles on the job market and career development. Read more about him in this recent summary.

Visit DePauw's Office of Civic, Global and Professional Opportunities here.

July 11, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Jim Graninger, vice president of Bosch's North American diagnostics unit and a 1970 graduate of DePauw University, has been re-elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Equipment and Tool Institute. ETI is a non-profit automotive trade association whose member companies supply products to vehicle manufacturers and the after-market industry.

"In his role as the head of Bosch’s Diagnostics Business Unit, Graninger brings over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry with 20 years specifically in the aftermarket," notes an announcement. "Prior to joining Bosch, Graninger served as vice president and general manager of Rexnord Industries, LLC, and in various management-level roles with Snap-on Inc., including their diagnostics business. Graninger's business management career has included international assignments in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands and various responsibilities in Asia, Australia and Latin America. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Graninger served as a pilot in Vietnam, Germany and the United Kingdom."

A psychology major at DePauw, Graninger went on to earn a masters degree  in executive development from Ball State University.

Read more here, or access this previous article.

July 11, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Erik Wielenberg, Johnson Family University Professor and associate professor of philosophy at DePauw University, will be among the presenters at two conferences this week at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Dr. Wielenberg will contribute to the "Naturalisms in Ethics" program on July 14-15 as well as the July 16-17 conference of the Australasian Philosophy of Religion Association (APRA).

The professor's books include New Waves in Philosophy of Religion, God and the Reach of Reason: C.S. Lewis, David Hume, and Bertrand Russell and Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe. In October 2006, Dr. Wielenberg contributed a "My Turn" column to Newsweek magazine.

Learn more in this previous story.

July 11, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Ken Owen, executive director of media relations at DePauw and 1982 graduate of the University, will be among the guests on this week's edition of Indianapolis NPR affiliate WFYI's No Limits. Owen, a former television news anchor and reporter, will join other ex-journalists to discuss how personnel cuts in local print and broadcast newsrooms are affecting the coverage that's being provided by those outlets.

Hosted by John Krull, director of Franklin College's Pulliam School of Journalism, No Limits airs from noon to 1 p.m. on WFYI (90.1 FM or HD1). It can also be streamed from the station's website, where an archived version of the program will be placed following the live airing.

The public affairs program focuses "on the news stories of the week and the hot topics of concern to Central Indiana residents," according to its Internet page. "Krull and his guests will talk about the issues that matter to people, the questions that intrigue us and the ideas in politics, education, the arts and culture that interest everyone. They will take call in questions from listeners as well comments from listeners on Twitter, Facebook and e-mail. The goal is to create the sort of forum in which the wisest voice, not loudest one, carries the day."

Ken Owen returned to DePauw in 2001 after two decades in TV news, which included stints at WISH (CBS), WRTV (ABC) and WPDS (now WXIN/Fox) in Indianapolis, as well as WLOS (ABC) in Asheville, North Carolina, and WANE (CBS) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The former student station manager of DePauw's WGRE, he began his post-college career at Indianapolis radio stations WIRE and WIBC before making the switch to television. (at left: Owen with Jane Pauley, who delivered an Ubben Lecture at DePauw on April 17, 2009)

Along Owen's responsibilities to raise the University's external visibility, he coordinates the Timothy and Sharon Ubben Lecture Series and the annual Monon Bell telecast and has created "Monon Memories" of every battle between DePauw and Wabash College for the Monon Bell since the rivalry began in 1890. The video vignettes, which now total 117, were the subject of features in the Chronicle of Higher Education and during HDNet's telecast of the 115th Monon Bell Classic in November 2008.

A communication major and Rector Scholar at DePauw, Owen has also taught journalism at Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis.

July 11, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Ashlee L. Anton, a May 2011 graduate of DePauw University, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarship. The grant will allow Anton to travel to South Korea to teach English to high school students in Madrid during the 2011-12 academic year through an English Teaching Assistantship. A softball player at DePauw, Anton also plans to teach English to 4-to-6 year old girls through the medium of sports and physical activity.

Anton is the second winner of a Fulbright ETA from DePauw this year.  As previously announced, Chelsey E. Jonason '11 will spend nine months assisting teachers in Slovakia during the upcoming academic year.

In her Fulbright application, Anton noted that an atlas she received as a child sparked in a curiosity in the world. "I decided to attend DePauw University not only to learn Japanese, but to fulfill my dream of traveling to Japan and Asia," she wrote.  "There were places I wanted to live and I learned everything I could about these places and the people that lived there.  When I finally made it to Japan, the lessons I learned about being a woman in another country proved to be some of the most valuable experiences of my life.  I knew that I had prepared myself as best as I could with the classes I took; however, nothing is like living in and adapting to a culture that is not your own."

She notes, "Education encompasses much more than a desk, pens and paper. Being part of a team, facing adversity, and establishing a strong work ethic contributes to the success of women and men from all walks of life. A majority of South Korean families sacrifice seventy percent of their household income to benefit their children’s education, especially in hakwons (private schools) that emphasize extra academic learning. However, the South Korean government now realizes that outstanding standardized test scores might not indicate students' abilities to learn outside a limited skill set. Booming technological advances in the past fifty years, such as being the most wired country in terms of Internet broadband access has placed South Korea on the global stage. In this context, speaking English becomes increasingly important to South Koreans as they examine their roles in cross-cultural understanding and economic prosperity. My future is in helping young people access global opportunities by sharing my knowledge of the English language."

Anton, who traveled to both Japan and South Korea as an undergraduate, wrote in her application,  "At college I have actively pursued opportunities that connect me to people from around the world and these have been the highlight of my collegiate career.  I work with international students at DePauw's Speaking and Listening Center to improve their English speaking abilities.  I am also the international student and scholar intern, coordinating a weekly event called "Conversation Café" where domestic and international students come to discuss current topics regarding cultural issues and awareness.  My work as a tutor fascinates me, and makes me want to pursue a career in English as a Second Language, eventually leading to research Korea-Japan relations and Korea-U.S. relations, especially in regards to women.  The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship will help solidify my credentials to carry out these plans."

A double major in East Asian studies and communication, Anton declared, "My interest in working with young girls stems from the realization of my potential as a female to create my own life. After I lived abroad in Korea and Japan, I came back to the United States asking myself what empowered me as a female. I reflected on what made me feel good. I realized that my ability to play softball well makes me feel like I can control my life, and having discovered this makes me feel empowered. Through education, I want to make others feel good and to understand the agency they have in creating their own lives."

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and established in 1946, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition aims to increase mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchange while serving as a catalyst for long-term leadership development. It is the largest American international exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.

The U.S. Student Program currently awards approximately 1,500 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in approximately 130 countries worldwide. Fulbright full grants generally provide funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident insurance and full or partial tuition. 

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided approximately 300,000 participants, chosen for their leadership potential, with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas, and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants. Learn more by clicking here.

DePauw students and alumni who are interested in applying for Fulbright Awards may contact Humberto Barreto, Elizabeth P. Allen Distinguished University Professor and professor of economics and management, or Marion "Marnie" McInnes, professor of English and women's studies and director of nationally competitive scholarships.

July 12, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "It's a combination 'welcome back' and 'farewell' concert as the Greencastle Summer Music Festival continues at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church," reports the Banner-Graphic. "Festival founder and DePauw University cello professor Eric Edberg is performing in Indiana for the first time since returning from a sabbatical in New York City. Pianist Nariaki Sugiura, who has been a staff accompanist and part-time piano professor at DePauw for several years, has accepted an appointment to the University of North Dakota music faculty and will be moving shortly to Grand Forks, N.D." (photos, at left: Eric Edberg; below right: Nariaki Sugiura)

According to Professor Edberg, "This is a wonderful artistic relationship -- a true musical friendship. We've played many recitals together, and he has accompanied many of my students. Nariaki is a tremendous artist, a terrific collaborator, and a fantastic accompanist and coach. While I'm sure we'll play together in the future, I'll miss having him at DePauw. So I'm glad we can celebrate his accomplishments here at Wednesday's concert."

Learn more about the program at the newspaper's website.

Founded in 1884, the DePauw School of Music is one of the oldest in the nation, and it has an established tradition of educating leaders in virtually every facet of music -- including performers, educators, composers and administrators. Learn more here.

July 12, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Stephen K. Worden, a May 2011 graduate of DePauw University, is the recipient of the Davies-Jackson Scholarship for a year of graduate study at St. John's College, the University of Cambridge. An English (literature) and political science double major at DePauw, Worden will use the scholarship to pursue an M.Phil. in politics.

Two Davies-Jackson Scholarships were presented this year. Fifty-two students applied for the award.

The Davies-Jackson Scholarship is given to graduating seniors with exceptional academic records who are the first in their family to graduate from college. The prestigious award offers top academic students who are able to demonstrate significant achievement in the liberal arts the chance to study internationally. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich educational environment of St. John's, which was founded in the 16th century and is one of the most renowned of about 30 Colleges comprising Cambridge University. The opportunity is specifically designed for students who will benefit from the rigorous and in-depth approach to education that characterizes the Cambridge experience.

The award covers fees and expenses, including room and board, and is valued at $50,000. The primary purpose of the scholarship is to provide an educational opportunity similar to the one received by the donor, who became part of the intellectual community and vowed to give back the gift he was given.

The Council of Independent Colleges assists the U.S. Selection Committee of the Davies-Jackson Scholarship to administer the program.

Learn more by clicking here.

Founded in 1837, DePauw is a private, selective, coeducational, residential, undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and School of Music with an enrollment of 2,394.

July 13, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "Tim Solso, who steered Cummins Inc. through one of its most successful decades, will retire from the engine maker at year-end," reports the Indianapolis Star of the 1969 DePauw University graduate. Jeff Swiatek writes, "Since Solso was named chairman and chief executive officer of Columbus-based Cummins in 2000, sales have doubled to $13.2 billion, its stock price has soared from a low of $4.28 a share in 2002 to a high of $121.49 in May, and international business has surged from 40 percent of sales to over 60 percent."

The lead director of Cummins' board of directors, Alexis Herman, says, "Tim has led the company through many years of record performance and outstanding shareholder returns."

Solso, who is 64, tells the newspaper, "It’s time for fresh eyes to take this company to the next level. It’s a great time to make the change."

"Solso, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from DePauw University in Greencastle, began his 40-year career at Cummins as an assistant in the personnel office," notes the Star. He later moved to the operations side of the business and worked for Cummins abroad, including in England and Brazil. Barron's magazine named him to its list of the 30 most respected company CEOs this year and last. Solso, who lives in Indianapolis, said he’s been too busy running Cummins to make retirement plans. But they won’t include running another business, he said. He said he’d consider community work  involving education, the environment or 'social justice type issues.' "

Read more at IndyStar.com.

Theodore M. "Tim" Solso is the U.S. chairman of the U.S. – Brazil CEO Forum, a member of the board of Ball Corp., Ashland Inc., the American Transportation Research Institute and is a member of the Business Roundtable. He also serves on the board of the Initiative for Global Development, Earth University and the Earth University Foundation. Along with Bill Gates and other leading U.S. business executives, Solso serves on the American Energy Innovation Council. He is a past member of DePauw's Board of Trustees.

Solso was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2008, was honored in 2007 with the Anti-Defamation League's "Man of Achievement Award," as well as the 2007 International Executive of the Year award from the Academy of International Business (AIB), the 2007 Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award, and the American Business Award for "Best Chairman," and in early 2009 was awarded the William R. Laws Human Rights Award by the Human Rights Commission of Columbus, Indiana, where Cummins is headquartered.  He was one of five finalists for MarketWatch's "CEO of the Decade" and will be honored as the 2011 "International Citizen of the Year" by the Indianapolis-based International Center on September 15.

He received DePauw's Old Gold Goblet, given for "eminence in life's work and service to alma mater," in 2007.

That same year, Cummins began a partnership with DePauw which funds partial scholarships for students from India -- where the company has major operations --  to attend DePauw.  The engine maker also provides internships at its operations in India for DePauw students.

Solso and his wife, Denise Manning Solso ('69), provided a gift to the University that created an approximately 3800-square foot laboratory building, Manning Environmental Field Station, within the 520-acre DePauw University Nature Park. Read more in this previous story.

On May 22, Tim Solso delivered the principal address to DePauw's Class of 2011 and received an honorary doctoral degree at the University's 172nd annual commencement. A summary of his address, "What Will Be My Contribution?," including links to video and audio clips, can be found here. The entire speech is available on YouTube.

July 13, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Orcenith Smith, professor of music and director of the DePauw Symphony Orchestra, is the featured guest conductor at the eighth Indiana University-Southeast String Clinic, July 17-23, held in New Albany, Indiana. Students from grades 7-12 participate in this weeklong clinic and are auditioned from the southern Indiana and Louisville area. Area string professionals, including members of the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, teach the students throughout the week.

Smith has been invited as guest conductor for the clinic's final concert six years in a row.

"It is such an honor to be invited back to conduct the final String Clinic concert with these young musicians," saysthe professor. "They have benefited from the hard work of all their teachers during the school year, and they individually are taking the initiative during summer to make the next step. They want to increase what they can learn, and do that in an intensive all-day focus. I am excited to become a part of their strong learning curve at this crucial performance step."

Earlier this summer, Smith conducted another string camp, "Strings and Jazzy Things," in Indianapolis. Funded by the Lilly Endowment, the Christel DeHaan Foundation, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis and Indianapolis' St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the camp gives inner-city string students opportunities to sustain their development in a tuition-free camp.

Founded in 1884, the DePauw University School of Music is one of the nation's oldest private institutions for post-secondary music instruction and the longest-running in Indiana. Learn more here.

July 14, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "Our political leaders are arguing about more than staving off a government shutdown or raising the debt ceiling or even cutting government spending," writes Lee Hamilton. "They're really arguing about the size, scope and ambitions of the federal government. This has been an underlying bone of contention since the nation's birth," asserts the veteran statesman and 1952 graduate of DePauw University in a newspaper op-ed.

"There are powerful forces that keep government growing: wars, defense, entitlements, the bureaucracy, lobbyists in the private sector pounding the halls of Congress for government favors, and of course, the American people, who expect a great deal from government," writes Hamilton, who served 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and later co-chaired the 9/11 Commission and Iraq Study Group.

"Democrats, on the whole, tend to see nothing wrong with federal activity and often want to extend its reach. But even many Republicans, while they don't like taxes, have still pushed for growth in the public sector, whether it's the military or a Medicare drug prescription plan. All this is aided by the usual response to national challenges: a commission of bright, well-meaning individuals who carefully study the matter and recommend new government spending to combat cancer or rein in flooding on the Mississippi River."

The Democrat asks, "How does this get turned around? I suspect the answer, despite all the political fireworks, lies not in any grand legislative solution that will resolve all our fiscal woes in a single package, but in incremental changes that in time can make a difference. Some will be politically difficult, such as reforms to entitlement programs, cuts to programs that have definite constituencies but may not be central to the national interest and privatizing services to serves the public's needs and boost efficiency. Others are politically simpler, but difficult to implement: reforming the federal government so that it is better managed, more technologically adept, more efficient, able to deliver services as leanly as the private sector, far more transparent and -- in the words that every politician loves to use but has trouble putting into practice -- able to do more with less."

You'll find the complete essay at the website of the Times Herald of Port Huron, Michigan.

Lee H. Hamilton is now the director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. Hamilton returned to DePauw on March 15 to address "The U.S. Role in the World After Afghanistan and Iraq" in a Timothy and Sharon Ubben Lecture.  A summary including video clips can be accessed here.

As an undergraduate, Hamilton majored in history and was a star player on the Tiger basketball team.  He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 and the DePauw Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

Learn more about Lee Hamilton in this recent story.

July 14, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "The Putnam County Community Foundation has announced that Ellie Ypma has established a new endowment supporting its Community Grants Program," begins an article in today's edition of Greencastle's Banner-Graphic. "Ed and Ellie Ypma each worked for nearly four decades at DePauw University -- Ellie as registrar and associate vice president and Ed as a professor of psychology -- enriching the lives of countless students."

The text continues, "The couple enjoyed many years together and shared many interests, including a love of learning and travel. After Ed passed away in 2008, Ellie established an endowment in their names that will enable them to continue to positively impact people's lives in perpetuity." 

"As a board member of the Community Foundation, Ellie sees first-hand the positive impact made by our Community Grants Program," says Elaine Peck, executive director of the foundation. "She has made a big difference in a number of areas."

The newspaper adds, "The Community Foundation administers more than 220 funds and endowments for donors, supporting a variety of charitable purposes."

Access the story at the Banner-Graphic's website.

Learn more about Eleanor Ypma in this previous story.

July 14, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — The Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Daugherty recommends Thursday's Game, "A guy book for guy golfers. Tom Chiarella is an English professor at DePauw, a regular contributor to Esquire and someone I'd like to drink many sodas with. And smoke cigars. And play 18. Like, every day. Reading this collection of essays about what it means to be a guy and a hack makes you want to pick up your clubs and go. Every time."

In singing the praises of Chiarella's Thursday's Game and Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy, Daugherty declares, "There are other golf books. Most are overly sentimental and dopey, or they take the game way too seriously. The two above are the best I've read, and I've read a lot. TML says check 'em out."

Access the item at the newspaper's website.

Tom Chiarella, visiting professor of creative writing at DePauw University, was part of a team that earned a 2009 national award from The American Society of Magazine Editors. He is the author of three books -- Foley's Luck, Writing Dialogue and Thursday's Game: Notes from a Golfer with Far to Go -- and his work was included in The Best American Magazine Writing 2009.

In 2004, Sports Illustrated wrote that Thursday's Game "collects recent articles, which range from ruminations on afternoons with his regular foursome, to think-pieces on pros like Sergio Garcia and John Daly (the latter of which is essential reading). What holds the book together is the easy, meditative rhythm of Chiarella's prose, which somehow seems closely related to hitting balls on the range."

Learn more about the professor in this recent article.

July 14, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corporation, "may not be a consummate journalist, but he is a consummate businessman," Mark Tatge, Eugene S. Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at DePauw University, tells the Christian Science Monitor.  The article by Gloria Goodale examines how allegations that Murdoch's operations possibly engaged in illegal hacking of phones and bribing public officials may affect his media empire.

Goodale writes, "Look at what he accomplished, points out Mr. Tatge. 'People told him he couldn’t launch a fourth TV network, and he did. People told him he would never be able to buy the Wall Street Journal, and he did,' he says."

You'll find the full text -- "How the BSkyB setback to Rupert Murdoch will affect his legacy in the U.S." -- at Yahoo! News.

Tatge is a veteran investigative editor and reporter who has served the past four years as the E.W. Scripps Visiting Professional at Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.  He also serves as professor of communication and theatre at DePauw.  Read more about him in this recent story.

Also: DePauw Discourse 2011 Schedule; Presenter Biographies

July 15, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. —  Registration is now under way for "DePauw Discourse 2011: Empowering Society Through the Arts," which is scheduled to take place September 29 - October 1 and will feature world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma in lecture and concert events.

Joined by alumni and distinguished guests, Yo-Yo Ma will lead a celebration of the arts and an exploration of their vital community role in sparking creativity, innovation, self-expression and dialogue. 

DePauw Discourse registration, available at this online page, includes all event meals and a Yo-Yo Ma concert ticket. A limited number of Yo-Yo Ma concert tickets will be available separately, beginning August 29, including an allotment at no charge to DePauw students. Check this website in early August for specific information on individual tickets. 

DePauw Discourse 2011 will include the following artists and leaders:

• Maxwell Anderson, CEO, Indianapolis Museum of Art
• Brian W. Casey, president, DePauw University
• Civic Orchestra of Chicago
• Sally Grooms Cowal ’66, senior vice president, Population Services International 
• Simon Crookall, CEO, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
• Willis “Bing” Davis ’59, president, Willis “Bing” Davis Art Studio and Gallery
• Donna DiNovelli, Heart of a Soldier opera librettist
• Judson C. Green ’74, former president and CEO, Navteq Corporation
• Anne F. Harris, A. Reid Winsey Professor of Art, chair of the art department, and director of the women’s studies program, DePauw University
•  Amy M. Hayes, adjunct professor of communication and theatre, director of Shakespeare in the Schools, DePauw University
• Sara D. Horton ’12, DePauw School of Music student
• Kevin James ’83, education director, American Composers Orchestra
• Yo-Yo Ma, Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Michael “Mac” P. Mackenzie, associate professor of art, DePauw University
• Mark McCoy, dean of the School of Music, DePauw University
• Case M. Nafziger ’12, DePauw University School of Music student
• Jeffrey Patchen, CEO, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
• Betty Perry, artistic director, Indianapolis Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
• James B. Stewart Jr. ’73, New York Times columnist and author of Heart of a Soldier: A Story of Love, Heroism, and September 11th
• Christopher Theofanidis, Heart of a Soldier opera composer

DePauw Discourse 2011 presenter biographies and a full schedule of events are available here.

Established in 2004, DePauw Discourse is a symposium that gathers the nation's distinguished leaders and thinkers in conversations with the University community about some of the most pressing public issues of the day. Previous participants include L. Paul Bremer III, Madeleine Albright, Lee H. Hamilton ’52, Vernon E. Jordan ’57, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Samantha Power, Bill McKibben, Roger Wilkins, Margaret Spellings, Wallace J. Nichols ’89, Bob Herbert, Allan Hubbard and Paul Volcker.

For additional information, please send e-mail to discourse@depauw.edu or call (800) 446-5298.

July 15, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Kyle Smitley, founder and owner of barley & birch and 2007 graduate of DePauw University, joined more than 100 other young entrepreneurs this week in Washington, D.C., to announce a new initiative, "Buy Young." The business owners met with leaders on Capitol Hill, including U.S. Senators John McCain and Charles Schumer, to discuss the obstacles their companies face and the steps the legislature could take to help them create more jobs.

The initiative is being led by OUR TIME, a national, non-profit membership organization founded to stand up for Americans under 30. The goal of the Buy Young initiative is to encourage Americans to support companies and organizations founded by entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and offer exclusive discounts on products and services to OUR TIME's subscriber base of more than 300,000.

The entrepreneurs who attended the Washington meeting have created more than 7,000 jobs.

"This was truly the experience of a lifetime," says Smitley. “I had to pinch myself when I was sitting in the West Wing in between Aaron Battalion (co-founder and chief technical officer of LivingSocial) and Kal Penn (actor and former associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement) and among these people that I am enormous fans of, and we were coming to solutions that will likely impact future generations of entrepreneurs. I spent the day being so inspired, motivated, humbled, and slightly starstruck."

Learn more here.

Smitley's company, barley & birch, is a line of organic children's clothing. She was among Inc.'s 2009 listing of "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Entrepreneurs."You'll find further details in this recent story.

July 16, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Micah E. Ling, part-time assistant professor of English at DePauw and 2003 graduate of the University, is a finalist in the "Emerging Author" category of the 2011 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Awards. The award and its $5,000 prize goes to a writer who has published no more than two books during his/her lifetime. Ling and the other two finalists will be recognized at the Indiana Authors Award dinner and festivities on October 29 at the Central Library in Indianapolis.

The Indiana Authors Awards recognize the contributions of Indiana authors to the literary landscape in Indiana and across the nation. The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award is a program of the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation and is funded through the generosity of the Glick Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation.

Greg Schwipps, Richard W. Peck Professor of Creative Writing and associate professor of English at DePauw and 1995 graduate of the University, was the 2010 recipient of the Indiana Authors' Emerging Author Award.

An English (writing) major at DePauw, Ling earned earned an M.A. in 20th Century American Literature and the M.F.A. in poetry, both at Indiana University. She has published two poetry collections, Three Islands and Sweetgrass, and has also taught at IU, Butler, and Franklin College. She also contributes articles to Indianapolis Monthly, NUVO and  online sites. She also was a finalist for the Emerging Authors Award last year.

Read more here.

July 17, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Kyle K. Inman, a May 2011 graduate of DePauw University, is the recipient of a 2011-12 Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship.  One of only four recipients nationally, Inman will use the grant to conduct an independent project in Northern Ireland in which she will study musical organizations that are dedicated to creating music that bridges the divides between the two conflicting political and sectarian populations that divide the country.

Presented by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships are designed to promote "the power of music" as a global force for mutual understanding.  Projects must explore an aspect of international contemporary or popular music as a cultural force for expression.

Inman is the third member of DePauw's Class of 2011 to be awarded an award through the 2011-12 Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition. As previously announced, Chelsey E. Jonason will spend nine months assisting teachers in Slovakia during the upcoming academic year through an English Teaching Assistantship grant. Ashlee L. Anton will use an ETA award to travel to South Korea to teach English to high school students in Madrid.

"An ex-paramilitary member sang a song for me in a pub in Belfast. I was nineteen-years-old performing an independent self-designed study on the affects of Northern Irish politics on music and when I asked if he could perform a political song for me, he sang instead about a friend who died during the struggle and the power of that man's memory to promote peace," wrote Inman in her application for the award. "The fact that this former prisoner who had experienced so much during the nastiest time of the conflict was willing to use music as a means of reconciliation taught me the power of the voice over the gun. I decided then to combine my passion for music, love for travel, and knowledge of the political struggle to promote the voices that will provide the much needed support to the progress of peace in Northern Ireland." 

She continued, "As a music major, my undergraduate education has provided a well-rounded understanding of the theory and history of music from Beethoven to Cage. However, during my time in Northern Ireland I realized another aspect of music: its power to tell stories, reinforce identities and express everyday political and cultural ideas. The music of the country was remarkably accessible: I attended informal sessions in the pubs, lively sounds in the dance halls, and politically charged music in the parades. My brief independent study project the previous year in Belfast on Republican political music gave me a basic grasp of the range of subject matter the music expressed and my second major, literature, also gave me the learning skills to deal with the narratives of the songs adding another layer to my understanding of the music. I spent time talking with people, learning their stories and listening to their music and I came home with a profound extension of my musical education that I could share with everyone."

The title of Inman's research, "Voices of Northern Ireland," is appropriate, she wrote, "because each group has something different to say, some aspect of the movement forward that deserves attention and promotion." She plans to focus on Different Drums of Ireland, the Omagh Youth Community Choir, Tommy Sands, and the Shropshire Music Foundation.

"As a capstone of my research, I will produce a collection of recordings of the participants on CD, accompanied by an informative insert explaining each group's background and message about the conflict and resolution process," Inman explains. "The groups with whom I will be working differ in style of music, age of performers, and the areas of Northern Ireland that they call home.  The project will encourage the performers to experience each other's work through their music as they represent their people's past struggle and current movement towards stability to an audience within and beyond their country. This compilation of musical statements will, for the first time, provide a broad assemblage of groups with a combined and more powerful voice to support the continued labors of maintaining peace."

The application declares, "With my work on the Fulbright-mtvU Grant, I will take the music that is so precious to this culture, bring it together, share it with the world, and use it to turn the beat of the war drum into a march for unity."  With an eye on future pursuit of a master's degree in peace studies and conflict resolution, Inman hopes to "continue to promote using the arts to help establish peace in areas of civil unrest, and awareness in countries like the United States. Having spent a semester in Northern Ireland and studied the political situation I have felt the strong tension that still exists.  With this project I hope to use the 'Voices of Northern Ireland' to highlight the powerful artistic steps Northern Ireland is taking in order to move past the events of its troubled history and towards a harmonious future."

Applicants for Fulbright-mtvU grants are encouraged to consider all aspects of the power of music in developing their proposals.  Along with the study of music in a specific cultural context, proposals will be considered in other music-related fields including music and social activism, music in learning, music and the community, and musical performance.

 Artists who reviewed candidates for the 2011-12 fellowships include: James Murphy, lead singer of LCD Soundsystem; Matt & Kim; and Jared Leto, lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest American international exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. The U.S. Student Program currently awards approximately 1,500 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in approximately 130 countries worldwide. Fulbright full grants generally provide funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident insurance and full or partial tuition. 

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided approximately 300,000 participants, chosen for their leadership potential, with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas, and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants. Learn more by clicking here.

DePauw students and alumni who are interested in applying for Fulbright Awards may contact Humberto Barreto, Elizabeth P. Allen Distinguished University Professor and professor of economics and management, or Marion "Marnie" McInnes, professor of English and women's studies and director of nationally competitive scholarships.

July 18, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "The serenity of river life brought Jack Simon, 22, back to Tahoe City this summer," begins a story in Nevada's Reno Gazette-Journal. "Simon, then an English major at DePauw University in Indiana, worked last summer as an intern for a Lake Tahoe entertainment guide. To earn extra money, he also worked as a river guide, taking rafters through the stem of the Truckee River." (photo: courtesy Reno Gazette-Journal)

"It's the greatest job in the world," Simon tells the newspaper. "People spend a lot of money to do what I do every day."

Emerson Marcus reports, "Simon graduated in May and two weeks later was back in Tahoe City. But since his return, the Truckee River Raft Co. has not sent one rafter down the river because of low water levels."

Access the complete article -- "Tahoe City river rafters waiting for more water" -- at the newspaper's website.