Academic Affairs New Faculty Notes - Message #35

By Amy Conrad Warner, Vice Chancellor for Community Engagement

IUPUI was founded on the dynamic spirit of civic collaboration and engagement still thriving in Central Indiana. Interdependency between the university, policy makers, business and industry, faith leaders and community advocates is embraced and expected to improve economic vitality and well-being. Decades of thought leadership, civic engagement and strategic investment transformed Indianapolis into an award winning city.

Want to gain insight and inspiration for research ideas as an engaged scholar? Review the vision for Indianapolis through Plan 2020 as it outlines the central plan for the city. Imagine preparing students for careers within the economic clusters of our region and detailed through the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership reports. Envision the IP and joint proposals to be developed between faculty and corporations at 16 Tech or support inclusive business practices outlined in the Business Equity Initiative. Breathe in the ideas and honor the assets in our neighborhoods and reflect on their goals, strategies, and expectations through initiatives like Great Places 2020.

Join the visioning of the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative with the Indianapolis Urban League. Apply for grants and professional development through IndyArts Council and find time to volunteer through the Indiana Sports Corporation. As these economic and quality of life initiatives succeed, so succeeds IUPUI.

IUPUI’s intellectual capital and $1 billion operating budget secures our position as an anchor institution. But this alone does not make a community thrive; we must engage, co-create knowledge, and steward a collective vision which forever binds IUPUI to the community.

Contact the Office of Community Engagement to learn more.

Did you know that your campus offers convenient walking routes and paths? Take a short walking break to boost your creativity and energy.

• Access the IUPUI campus map to view the indoor and outdoor walking trails. Scroll down under “Locations” and select Healthy IU Walking Paths.
• Learn about Indoor Physical Activity Options at Jaguar Campus Recreation during winter months.

Indianapolis is a hub for many cultural and educational organizations. To add to the list of the organizations you may already know of, below are five hidden gems!

Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these organizations may need support. Visit their respective websites to see how they are addressing the pandemic.

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library
The KVML houses artifacts from Vonnegut’s life and honors his contributions as a writer and activist with early roots in Indianapolis and produces language and visual arts programming. 

Madam Walker Legacy Center
The now-revitalized building was the headquarters of Madam C.J. Walker Hair Care and Beauty Products. This building now provides educational programs and serves as a community venue.

Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Garden
Garfield Park houses a conservatory and Sunken Garden worth visiting to see hundreds of tropical plants and classical garden landscaping.

Indiana Historical Society
The Historical Society “collects and preserves Indiana’s unique stories; brings Hoosiers together in remembering and sharing the past,” (Indiana Historical Society).

Conner Prairie
Conner Prairie is a cornerstone of arts, science, history, and interactive learning in an outdoor museum setting.

"Work on BIG ideas. Don’t spend all your energy on the daily responsibilities."

– Submitted by a former new faculty member.

By Kathy E. Johnson, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer

Many of us spend a lot of time writing for academic audiences, but have you ever tried communicating your work to the general public? The Conversation is a nonprofit publisher of news, commentary, and analysis written by academics and edited by journalists for the general public.

An article was published on the site by Melissa Cyders (School of Science), and pieces authored by Gabriel Filippelli (School of Science) and Tyrone Freeman (Lilly Family School of Philanthropy) have been picked up by The Washington Post and Time, respectively.

If you have a bit of time to write an 800 to 1000 word piece for a mass audience, this is a terrific way to raise awareness of the outstanding research and creative inquiry projects that IUPUI faculty lead.

IUPUI faculty can register to write for The Conversation via this link.

• Friday, March 4: E.C. Moore Symposium on Excellence in Teaching
• March 14-19: IUPUI Spring Break for Full Term Classes
• Sunday, March 20: Application Deadline for Next Generation 2.0 Leadership Program
• Wednesday, March 23: Teaching@IUPUI: Creating a Teaching Portfolio

Join one of our spring writing groups today!

Each semester, the Faculty Crossing offers writing groups that provide encouragement, accountability, and a sense of community for faculty and staff. Participants will meet on Zoom for two hours each week. In the first 15 minutes of the meeting, participants will discuss a writing-related topic and share session writing goals.

The remaining time is spent quietly writing, and there are two options:
      1. Tuesdays: 10 a.m.–noon
      2. Wednesdays: 10 a.m.–noon (members of the Wednesday group can participate online or in person at The Faculty Crossing at IUPUI)

The Tuesday writing group session began January 4 and the Wednesday section began January 5. You can join anytime throughout the semester.
Membership is open to IUPUI, IUPUC, and IU Fort Wayne faculty and staff of all ranks, appointments, and disciplines.

View more information and register or contact ude[dot]iupui[at]ssorccaf with questions.