Catherine Barnes to receive Indiana University Alumni Association 2008 President’s Award
December 3, 2008
Kokomo, Indiana – Giving back to the community comes natural for Catherine Barnes. After all, the life-long Kokomo resident remembers those who gave of their time to her when she was a child.
Because of her dedication to Indiana University and the Kokomo area, Barnes is this year’s recipient of the IU Alumni Association’s President’s Award, which will be presented to her this Friday, December 5, during a ceremony at the Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis campus center.
“It’s simple. I’m giving back to the community that has embraced me my entire life,” Barnes said of her volunteer work. “I never expect to receive an award for the things I do. I am honored.”
Barnes recalls as a young child when she lived across the street from the Carver Community Center on the city’s northeast side, where she played every day. It was at Carver where she came in contact with young college students, volunteering their time, who helped her realize that attending college was indeed a possibility. Barnes graduated from Purdue University at West Lafayette in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences from Purdue University.
Since then, Barnes has served on Carver’s board of directors and has helped shape the mentoring programs offered there. In addition, she has been an active volunteer with the IU Kokomo Alumni Association, and has served as a board member for the national Neal-Marshall Alumni Club. She has been active in projects such as the Old Ben 5K Run/Walk, Hoosiers for Higher Education Statehouse Day, Indiana Black Expo, the IUAA Student Study Task Force, and IU Kokomo’s Take Back the Night.
Barnes is an academic adviser and the coordinator of campus climate with the School of Arts and Sciences. She and her husband, Fred, live in Kokomo.
Indiana University Kokomo serves a seven county, primary service area in north central Indiana. The campus offers more than 40 academic programs including four graduate degrees.
