Women of the Well House

• 2026 LEAD Conference: Gloria Preece, assistant dean of the School of Business and assistant professor of personal financial planning and marketing, and Ashley Leicht, lecturer in business, applied for funds on behalf of the Women in Business (WIB) Student Organization’s flagship event. Grant funds will help support keynote speaker fees, interactive workshops, and student-led activities aimed at fostering leadership, professional development, and networking opportunities for participants. This grant will enable WIB to expand its reach, providing more students with the resources and experiences necessary to succeed in their academic and professional journeys.
• 2026 Midwestern Psychological Association Annual Conference: Rosalyn Davis, clinical professor of psychology, and Kathryn Holcomb, associate professor of psychology, applied for a grant to take 10 students to the annual conference in Chicago. Students will attend presentations from across the disciplines of psychology and specialized sessions to present their research and have opportunities to network with potential employers and academic institutions across the country.
• Bird Campus Indiana: After successfully becoming the first “Bird Campus” in Indiana, Lina Rifai, associate professor of vertebrate biology, received funds for to continue collecting data on bird populations on campus. This project provides undergraduate research opportunities for students, close-up experiences for the community with wild birds, and connects the campus further to the community. Rifai plans to continue adding radio tracking technology as a research and educational tool, so students can be part of collaborative projects across borders with other researchers for better implementations of conservation policies.
• Frame Building Workshop: Carrie Baxter, art gallery coordinator, received funding for a workshop to provide university art students and community members with hands-on instruction in constructing custom wooden frames for artwork.
• Green Horizons Initiative: Andy Tuholski, director of the Office of Sustainability and assistant professor of political science, received funds for The Green Horizons Initiative at IU Kokomo. The five-year project integrates ecological restoration with interdisciplinary education and community engagement. Grant funding is focused on removing decades of overgrowth on Kokomo Creek, a campus border that intersects with restoration areas and honeybee hives. The spring 2026 phase funds labor and materials to cut and treat invasive plants, remove trash, chip cleared biomass on site, and return chips to establish a safe path, preparing the corridor for a future dredging project. After clearing, flood-tolerant native trees, shrubs, and plugs will be installed.
• IUK Education Abroad Poland: Gloria Preece, assistant dean of the School of Business and assistant professor of personal financial planning and marketing; and Adam Smith, associate professor of management, received funding for students participating in a School of Business trip to Poland, focused on global business practices and cultural engagement. Approximately 20 students will participate in pre-departure class sessions followed by a 10-day in country experiential learning program that includes company visits, cultural excursions, and discussions with business leaders.
• IU Kokomo spring musical, State Fair: Erin Doss, associate professor of communication, received funding for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences’ production of State Fair, planned for April 17-29.
• IU Kokomo Student Technology Equity Program (STEP): Yan He, dean of the Library, and Britney Netherton, access services supervisor, were granted funds to establish a circulation collection of laptops, aiming to remove a significant barrier to academic success by providing no-cost, long-term laptop access. The Library is partnering with the Office for Student Success and Advising and the Office for Student Life to manage the program.
• Overseas Student Course/Trip Italy 2026: Minda Douglas, associate professor of fine arts; and Aaron Pickens, associate professor of new media, received funding to support student travel costs to Italy, where they will study ancient Roman art, architecture, culture, and traditions, visit the Roman Forum and Colosseum, and go to Pompeii, Siena, and Florence.
• Research Spotlight: Elevating Scholarship Through Talks, Podcasts, and Inclusive Storytelling: Yanling Liu, assistant librarian and coordinator of information literacy and research services; Yan He, dean of the Library; and Patrick Motl, dean of the School of Sciences, received funding to position the Library as a center for inclusive scholarship by promoting faculty and student research using talks, podcasts, and an annual recognition event.
• School of Business – BUS-X 107 – Professional Development: Sarah Byrd, visiting lecturer of business, and Ashley Leicht, lecturer of business, received funding to assist in the professional training of the Gallup: Successful Strengths Coaching program, needed to utilize the StrengthsFinder program with students in class.
• School of Business Peer Mentorship Program: Sarah Byrd, visiting lecturer of business, Ashley Leicht, lecturer of business, and student peer mentors Gannon Davis and Blakely Lake received funding for a peer mentoring leadership retreat for new and continuing peer mentors in the School of Business.
• A Survey on Dietary Supplement Use and Recovery Practices among Collegiate Student-Athletes: A Foundation for a Women’s Health and Performance Initiative and Student Research Experience: Huiying Zhu, assistant professor of health sciences, received funds for a student-led initiative to study the supplement use and recovery practices of female student-athletes and active students, noting that women are underrepresented in sports science, creating a significant gap in resources for their unique physiological needs.
• IU Kokomo Nursing Student Engagement and Health Screenings Initiative: Undergraduate nursing students will offer blood pressure checks and A1C testing at eight events on campus and at senior centers in Howard, Tipton, and Grant counties. They will also provide health coaching and referral to local providers as needed. This project aims to reduce the risk of chronic illness and improve health literacy in rural populations with limited access to healthcare.

• 2025 Lead Conference: Gloria Preece, Assistant Dean in the School of Business
  The 2025 LEAD Conference is the Women in Business (WIB) Student Organization's flagship event at the IUK School of Business. Grant funds will help support keynote speaker fees, interactive workshops, and student-led activities aimed at fostering leadership, professional development, and networking opportunities for participants. This grant will enable WIB to expand its reach, providing more students with the resources and experiences necessary to succeed in their academic and professional journeys.
• African American Read-In: Sarah Grubb, Assistant Professor of Education
  The Read-In, supported by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is a national effort. School of Education students who participate in the facilitation of this project will take this foundation of learning through their practicum experiences and enter local districts with a greater understanding of culturally relevant experiential instruction. Additionally, this partnership helps community organizations with similar goals intentionally work together to meet those goals.
• Artwork Photography Workshop: Carrie Baxter, Art Gallery Coordinator
  The IU Kokomo Art Gallery seeks to support students and community members by hosting workshops that will provide guidance and teach participants specific skills to benefit their current and future art careers. This proposal is for the first workshop, a three-hour demonstration covering the best practices for photographing artwork and editing the images using image editing software on a computer. Long-term, these workshops will provide career skills to artists in the community and at IU Kokomo. This workshop will be free to attract current students, potential future students, and community members to the IU Kokomo Art Gallery and campus.
• Bird Campus: Lina Rifai, Associate Professor of Vertebrate Biology
  After successfully becoming the first "Bird campus" in Indiana, the continuation of the project on collecting data on bird populations on our campus as well as educational and research opportunities for our students, has become even more essential. This project will continue to provide great undergraduate research opportunities for our students, provide close-up experiences for our community with wild birds and connect us further to our community (bird community and people community!). For 2024 radio tracking technology will be introduced as a research tool (technology in field research) but also as an educational tool to have students be part of collaborative projects across borders with other researchers for better implementations of conservation policies.
• Etiquette Dinners: Angie Siders, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Tracy Springer, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
  Career Services and Admissions will be continuing to partner to host high school students for an etiquette dining experience. Last year they hosted all Madison-Grant seniors, and this fall we have hosted this year’s new cohort of debutante women. The admissions budget covered the debutante cohort as a diversity initiative, but we do not have the budget should we look to expand. This grant will allow us to host 100 additional students this year.
• Green Horizons Initiative: Andy Tuholski, Director of the Office of Sustainability and Assistant Professor of Political Science
  The Green Horizons Initiative at Indiana University Kokomo is a 5-year project that integrates ecological restoration with interdisciplinary education and community engagement. It aims to restore native ecosystems by eradicating invasive species, reintroducing native plants and trees, and enhancing biodiversity across campus. The project offers hands-on learning experiences for students through campus events, serves as a living laboratory for research, and engages the community through outreach and volunteer opportunities. By promoting long-term sustainability, the initiative contributes to the ecological health of the campus while fostering a culture of environmental stewardship.
• Indiana University Kokomo’s Summer 2025 FIT Camp for Kids: Samantha Fouts, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing
  During a full-day, week-long IU Kokomo FIT summer Camp, nursing faculty lead a unique program designed specifically for children ages 6-10 who learn about physical fitness and living a healthy lifestyle through play and activity. IU Kokomo’s nursing students serve as camp counselors who engage campers in activities focusing on fitness and healthy living, while earning college credit as part of coursework. The camp is excellent training and course credit for nursing students but cannot reimburse students for the 40 hours plus they work per week unless IU Kokomo seeks external funding, which we are respectfully requesting of Women of the Well House.
• International Travel - Innovation Symposium: Minda Douglas, Associate Professor of Fine Arts
  This grant provided funds for IU Kokomo students to travel with the Innovation Symposium program to England. The Harlaxton College portion of the trip is a seven-day academic experience at Harlaxton College. The ten students of the Innovation Symposium 2025 group will be served by academic and global experiences. Additionally, the IU Kokomo campus as well as local businesses and organizations related to the student project proposals will be served by the program.
• International Education Week: Rene Semple, IU Kokomo Student
  This grant provided funding to host an International Education Week event at IU Kokomo, aimed at celebrating cultural diversity and promoting global awareness among students and the broader campus community. The event will feature cultural performances, food, and educational workshops, encouraging cross-cultural engagement and highlighting the importance of international education.
• IUK Education Abroad Denmark: Business Sustainability: Gloria Preece, Assistant Dean in the School of Business
  The program will provide students with firsthand exposure to Danish companies and industries renowned for their sustainable approaches, offering valuable insights into how businesses integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. By participating in site visits, workshops, and cultural exchanges, students will develop a deeper understanding of global sustainability trends and their practical application in the business world.
• Paraeducators Program Event & Mentoring: Tara Kingsley, Professor of Education and Christina Romero, Associate Professor of Education
  The grant will provide event funding for our new cohort of paraprofessional educators who will come to IU Kokomo in January 2025 for a cohort introduction and get-to-know one another event. The program also has paraeducator mentors and will provide mentor training.
  School of Business Freshman Peer Mentorship Program: Sarah Byrd, Visiting Lecturer in Business and Ashley Leicht, Visiting Lecturer in Business and Graduate Program Director
  This grant will provide a continuation and expansion of our peer mentorship program. With this financial support, we will be able to develop a leadership retreat for continuing and new mentors for the 25-26 school year. The School of Business Peer Mentoring Program provides countless ways to support student success within our programs. These Student Mentors help guide our freshman cohort by coaching and educating students on ways to gain and maintain success at IU Kokomo.
• Textbook Affordability Enhancement Program: Martha Barker, Assistant Librarian and Library Collections Coordinator, and Yan He, Dean of the Library
  The IU Kokomo Library will use this grant funding to help with the textbook affordability initiative, a collaborative program with other academic units through the Textbook Affordability Working Group (TAWG). As the library is experiencing budget reduction and struggling with managing inflation, new requests, and continuous weeding, this grant will be especially helpful for the library to provide more unlimited user online access licenses to save costs for students.

• CPR Training: Kokomo-area health care professionals, teachers, law enforcement personnel, and community members will have a local option to learn CPR as a result of grant funding from Indiana University Kokomo’s Women of the Well House. Currently there are no AHA training sites in Kokomo, creating a CPR desert.
• Andy Tuholski, director of the Office of Sustainability, and student workers will use grant funding to buy saplings and native flowers and plants to maintain the Tree Campus USA accreditation, and to pursue Sustainable Campus certification from the Indiana Wildlife Federation. He noted that only four other campuses hold this certification statewide.
• Environmental Arts & Literature: Senior Gabe Franks applied for funds on behalf of the Student Sustainability Council to continue buying and giving away books on topics related to sustainability, including gardening, state parks, waterways, and native plants and birds. The council also will use funding to give students materials to create environmental artwork for permanent display in the Main Building.
• Layperson Naloxone trainer program: Leigh Swartzendruber, clinical assistant professor of nursing, applied for funding to continue free training programs that help people recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer the opioid reversal drug Naloxone, or Narcan. She offers the program free for IU Kokomo nursing students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Return to De Hogeweyk/Dementia Village: Rosalyn Davis, clinical associate professor of psychology and director of the mental health counseling program, requested funding for a KEY global mental health class that includes travel to Amsterdam in spring 2024. The class will visit De Hogeweyk/Dementia Village, a facility that is a model for treatment of end stage dementia, caring for individuals in the least restrictive environment and manner possible. The visit will allow students to see these practices in person, to potentially bring back the methodology to local care facilities, and will allow them to consider how to use these treatment practices in future careers.
• Overseas Italy courses/trip 2024: Minda Douglas, associate professor of fine arts, and Donna McLean, associate professor of communication arts, requested funding to offset the cost of a spring 2024 art history and communications class trip to Italy. Douglas said grant funding would reduce the cost of the trip for the 20 students participating, noting that travel costs have increased by 20 percent since the last trip in 2018.
• Study Abroad in Business - Poland: Gloria Preece, assistant dean and assistant professor of personal financial planning and marketing, and Adam Smith, associate professor of management, requested funding to offset the cost of travel to Poland in spring 2024. Preece and Smith noted that despite troubling financial times, Poland’s economy has continued to grow and is one of the strongest in Europe. About 20 students will visit Warsaw and Krakow.
• Monitoring songbird and hummingbird populations on campus: Lina Rifai, associate professor of vertebrate biology, requested funding for equipment to band birds on campus, allowing for collection of data on songbirds and hummingbirds on campus. The project provides hands-on opportunities for science students to engage in field work and facilitates public bird banding demonstrations.
• Innovation Symposium 2024: Karla Stouse, teaching professor in English and humanities, requested funding to cover half the cost of 10 Innovation Symposium students to stay eight days at Harlaxton College in England for the Innovation Symposium. While there, students gain awareness of global and local issues while meeting innovators and practicing their own innovative thinking, then return to campus empowered to develop individual projects to address global issues.

• World War II Trip: Students from a WWII literature class will visit the island that inspired one of the novels they read, thanks to an Indiana University Kokomo Women of the Well House grant. The class – led by Michelle Westervelt, senior lecturer in English and Sarah Heath, associate professor of history – will visit sites they’ve read about in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Societyas part of a trip that will also include historic sites in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and England.
• Kim Mossburg, senior lecturer in health science; Hisako Masuda, associate professor of biochemistry; and Christina Romero-Ivanova, assistant professor of education received funding for a phlebotomist to conduct blood draws before and after a clinical trial they plan. “We hope to make a contribution to research in the area of disease prevention,” Mossburg said. “Our study is about the effects of a plant-based diet, along with curcumin and ginger supplements, on markers of inflammation and microbiome diversity.”
• Teaching Digital Storytelling to Education and Social Work Students at the University of Dundee, Scotland: A Continuing Collaboration – Romero-Ivanova applied for funding to continue a project that began in 2020. She will work with faculty and staff in Scotland to provide information about new technologies, and grow collaborations in research, writing, and publishing information to that campus and IU Kokomo. This program will also grow a future invitation for a University of Dundee faculty member to visit IU Kokomo as a guest lecturer in 2023.
• Educator Wellness Communities: Cheryl Moore-Beyioku, lecturer in special education, and Leah Nellis, senior advisor for IU regional campus K-12 initiatives, received a grant to expand a current program designed to support the wellness and resilience of preservice educators and recent School of Education alumni through building community, mentoring, and supporting self-care.
• Layperson Naloxone Trainer Program: Leigh Swartzendruber, clinical assistant professor of nursing, will use funding to expand an Overdose Lifeline Training course to include IU Kokomo students, faculty, and staff. Participants will learn to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone, or Narcan.
• Support Staff Professional Development Day: Cynthia Lipken, administrative assistant in the School of Business, requested funding for a professional development day in March 2023, with a theme of work-life balance. It will be a day of re-energizing and building connections between members of the support staff and learning new skills which will help them in their work and personal lives.  
• Sustainability In Business: Demark and Sweden: Gloria Preece, assistant dean and assistant professor of personal financial planning and marketing; and Adam Smith, associate professor of management, received a grant for a new study abroad program in Denmark, incorporating the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students will identify one or more of the goals to address in a research project and will then travel to Denmark to learn to develop strategies needed to create measurable social impact through sustainable business practices.
• Seeds and Saplings: Native Plants and Hydroponics at IUK: Andy Tuholski, director of the Office of Sustainability and assistant professor of political science, applied for funds to extend ongoing campus planting efforts, and add an indoor hydroponics garden system to provide educational and service-learning opportunities for students, and a steady supply of fresh herbs and produce for the Cougar Cupboard food pantry.

The giving circle provided funding for 10 programs led by faculty, staff, and students.

• Dedicate and Educate: IU Kokomo native plant project: Andy Tuholski, director of the Office of Sustainability and visiting lecturer in political science, applied for funding to expand annual campus planting efforts, with focus on introducing more native species, and creating university-approved identification signs for native trees and plants on campus in prominent locations.
• Podcast Festival ’22: Paul Cook, Podcast Festival chair, and board of directors members Erin Doss, Tess Barker, Meg Galasso, Jamie Oslawski-Lopez, Quiana Preston, Julie Deem, and Jim Coby plan to continue the podcasting festival that began in 2021 with a virtual edition. The 2022 event will be a month-long podcasting festival, both in-person and online, where students from diverse backgrounds and experiences can share creative digital stories, engage with the community, and celebrate the power and connective power of human storytelling.
• Pedagogical Partnerships: Julie Saam, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs, applied for funding for a Students and Learners and Teachers program in which Multicultural Center Equity Ambassadors will serve as paid pedagogical consultants to faculty.
• From STEM majors to educators: A STEM teacher recruiting initiative: The project, led by Leah Nellis, dean of the School of Education, Christian Chauret, dean of the School of Sciences, Lu Wang, assistant professor of science education and Patrick Motl, associate dean of the School of Sciences and professor of physics; attempts to address the need of preparing high-quality STEM teachers, and serves as the first step to recruit STEM majors and professionals to consider teaching.
• NMAT student leaders/tutors: This program will hire high-performing new media, art, and technology juniors and seniors to assist, train, or mentor foundation level students, or students preparing for their thesis work. It will empower upper-level students through mentoring and teaching their peers, while also helping students in need of extra support, skills, or knowledge. Erik Deerly, chair of NMAT and professor of NMAT, received the grant.
• Educator wellness and resilience: Dean Leah Nellis and Cheryl Moore-Beyioku, lecturer in special education, applied for funding to expand its program, which is designed to support the well-being and resilience of preservice educators and recent School of Education alumni, through mentoring, self-care practices, and connection, to support retention of teachers.
• Support for launch of KEY Center for Innovation: Funding will help with infrastructure for the new Center, which provides experiential learning for students through community-based projects, while expanding the campus’s presence in the community. Director Alan Krabbenhoft said needs include workspace and equipment for presentations, as well as professional association dues.
• Prince Edward Island trip for the Anne of Green Gables Literacy Circle: Grants would help pay for travel costs for undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, staff, and faculty as a culminating trip to provide experiences related to the Anne of Green Gablesbook series. Christina Romero-Ivanova, assistant professor of education, facilitates the group.

• Learning to Teach STEM with technology tools during a pandemic: Lu Wang, assistant professor of education. The grant will provide funding to prepare highly-qualified female prospective elementary teachers to teach using emerging technologies, both in the classroom and virtually. About 15 to 20 students in Wang’s spring 2021 class will participate, with a six-month subscription to the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) learning center, along with a one-year membership in the NSTA. The grant also will benefit Kokomo schools, as the students will complete their practicums and then student teaching in the there.
• Science and Beauty at IU Kokomo Tree Canopy: Leda Casey, director of the Office of Sustainability, and John Sarber, director of physical facilities: Funding will be used to purchase trees and employ a part-time student worker to help manage the campus tree canopy inventory process.
• Overdose Lifeline Training for Nurses in Training: Leigh Swartzendruber, lecturer in nursing. The grant will allow Swartzendruber to attend training with Overdose Lifeline Inc. so she can then train students in her applied health care ethics class. The online training includes seminars on topics such as brain and disease addiction, opioid public health crisis, removing the shame, and understanding harm reduction. It also will purchase licensing for Overdose Lifeline’s software.
• Sharing is Caring: Empowering Women and Exploring Women’s Issues Through Podcasting: Paul Cook, associate professor of English. Cook plans to host a podcasting festival in 2021. His goal is to promote women’s stories and experiences as a way to achieve both self-empowerment and a greater awareness on campus of the kinds of issues that affect women. Some of the topics include sexual assault, the #MeToo movement, gender roles in the workplace and home, work/life balance, child care, barriers to entry into various fields and professions, class-based economic issues that circulate around gender, and more.
• Developing Mentors, Advancing Mentorship Initiatives Through a Development Program and Consultation: Sue Hendricks, dean of the School of Education; Julie Saam, professor of education, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment; and Carolyn Townsend, assistant dean of the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing track. The applicants plan to host an expert in the development of mentors and mentorship programs for a half-day virtual training program for the campus community, and also provide additional consultation on development of several projects, including peer mentoring to support holistic admission, and improvement of faculty mentoring practices. 
• Alpha Kappa Delta-Phi of Indiana: Stephanie Medley-Rath, associate professor of sociology. Grant funding is for start-up costs for a chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, an academic honor society for sociology majors and minors, as well as membership fee assistance for students.
• Project United: Josephine Dibie, lecturer in business. Funding will be used for past and present at-risk women being supported by the Family Service Association of Howard County Domestic Violence Shelter to attend the 2021 United State of Women leadership conference. Each one will receive a spa day, a new outfit, and a day of motivation and education, while meeting women who can shape their vision for a better tomorrow.
• Kathleen Ligocki Scholars Program Mentors: Mark Canada, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Jan Halperin, vice chancellor for university advancement.  The grant will provide a stipend for up to five mentors per year, each advising two to three students in the Kathleen Ligocki Scholars Program. The program, which began in fall 2020, provides selected students a scholarship renewable all four years, along with KEY experiences such as travel, social events, academic support, guest lectures, and more.
• IU Kokomo African-American Read In: Sarah Grubb, assistant professor of education. Funding will facilitate participation in national effort to read works by Black authors sharing their own experiences, a supported by the National Council of Teachers of English. Books will be provided to participating Howard County school districts, with School of Education students facilitating use through virtual programming.
• IU Kokomo Women in Technology Club: Assistant professor of computer science and student Sarah Richeson. The grant will fund club activities for the academic year.
• Latino Food and Nutrition Development: Kim Mossburg, lecturer in nutritional science. Mossburg plans programming on development of food, health and culture, serving to integrate the health needs of the Latino population while focusing on specific dietary food preparation methods.

For more information about Women of the Well House, or to join, contact Tara Scott at tarscott@iu.edu or 765-455-9449.

• FIRST Tech Challenge qualifying tournament: The grant will provide funding for the School of Sciences, led by Associate Dean Patrick Motl, to host a FIRST robotics competition in January 2020. FIRST Tech Challenge is the intermediate robotics league for students in grades 7 to 12. Motl anticipates hosting up to 32 area teams. 
• Obtaining technologies for the Family Service Association of Howard County (FSA) domestic violence shelter: Alan Krabbenhoft, dean of the School of Business, and Christina Romero-Ivanova, assistant professor of education, applied for funding to replace outdated technology for the FSA domestic violence shelter. The new laptops, with software and printers, will facilitate mentoring by students and faculty in the School of Business and School of Education, and also help residents seek services outside the shelter as they work toward self-sufficiency. 
• Travel expenses for Women in Accounting and Finance trip to New York: Funding will help cover travel expenses for 10 students and two faculty members to travel to New York City on a trip led by Olga Korne, lecturer in accounting, and Xiaoqiong Wang, assistant director of finance, to develop financial knowledge, professional confidence, financial independence, and leadership skills.
• Persimmon Sustainability camp: The Office of Sustainability, led by Leda Casey, senior lecturer of geology, will host a community outreach for children served by Kokomo’s Carver Community Center. The goal is to instill an understanding of the importance of sustainability through education related to nutrition and organic farming, the value of native plants, the definition of a carbon footprint, the adventure of outdoor activity, and other ways to practice sustainability in daily life.
• English W-131 student service projects: Funding will make it possible for students in five composition classes to complete small service projects in the community at the beginning of the semester. Projects will reinforce the same steps that developing a writing process requires, including awareness of audience, clarity of purpose, main point, organization, and strong conclusion. Kristen Snoddy, senior lecturer in English; Karla Stouse, senior lecturer in English and humanities; Michelle Westervelt, lecturer in English, Lori Bruns, visiting lecturer in English, and Felicia Williams, senior lecturer in English, will lead the classes, with themes including societal issues, preparation for education, education issues, self-esteem and individual value, and community partnerships.
• Certification for faculty to be health navigators for Pathways to Health: Johnathan Grant, associate director of web services, received funding to train faculty, staff, or other campus community members to be Indiana Pathways to Health insurance navigators. They would be able to assist students in applying for Medicaid or Affordable Care Act Exchange health insurance coverage. The initiative focuses on improving student health.
• World War II Class Trip: Sarah Heath, associate professor of history, was thrilled to receive funding for a World War II class she co-leads with Kristen Snoddy, senior lecturer of English. Their class will visit sites significant to the war in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and England, and their request was to cover train transportation between Berlin and Amsterdam and admission to the Anne Frank Museum.

• Philosophy for Children Empirical Study: The grant will provide funding for IU Kokomo student Jacob Castleberry, along with Kathy Holcomb, associate professor of psychology, and Alex Gillham, visiting lecturer in philosophy, to study possible effects of the Philosophy for Children program, and implicit bias. They will partner with a local school to complete the study, with plans to publish the results.
• Comparative Mental Health Travel Course: Funding will provide additional educational components, such as museum tickets, to a 10-day trip to Austria and the Netherlands for psychology students, who will learn about mental health care services in the United States and overseas. Rosalyn Davis, clinical assistant professor of psychology, said it also will offset travel costs for students.
• Junior Chef Cooking Class: Kim Mossburg, lecturer in nutritional science, will provide culinary and nutritional information to about 15 teen students, to teach them positive dietary habits to improve their health.
• IU Kokomo Women in Technology Club: Chen Zhong, assistant professor of informatics, and Hong Liu, assistant professor of computer science, will use the funds to build a community for female students in STEM majors, to encourage peer teaching and engagement in the research program.
• Persimmon Sustainability Camp: The camp is a partnership between IU Kokomo and Kokomomentum, an after school program through the Kokomo Schools. Kokomomentum focuses on STEM and serves students grades 2 through 5. IU Kokomo faculty, staff, and students will lead campers in sustainability activities including native gardening, learning about endangered species, wetland restoration, and carbon footprint. Leda Casey, senior lecturer in geology, and student Tabitha Pelgen lead the program.
• Destination APA: Attending the American Psychological Association meeting in Chicago. Psychology faculty will take graduate and undergraduate students to conference, for the primary psychological association for professionals throughout the world. Students will have opportunities to present research, network with graduate schools and employers, and learn from world-renowned experts in their field. Rosalyn Davis, clinical assistant professor of psychology, applied for the grant. 
• Professional Wardrobe for Students: Students from the Women in Business would create a professional wardrobe for students, as both a service learning project and a resource for financially disadvantaged students. Gloria Preece, director of the Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Management programs, applied for the grant.
• Women in Business Student Association WBE Trip: Funding will be used for members to visit several women-owned businesses in Chicago, and discuss the realities, challenges, and opportunities of being a female and/or minority entrepreneur or executive. Gabby VanAlstine, lecturer in business, applied for the grant.

• CPR Training for the Campus: Funds will be used to purchase updated Manikins, as required by the American Heart Association, to provide CPR training for students in health professions, as well as others on campus. Students in the Division of Allied Health Sciences must have this certification before beginning internships. Kim Mossburg, lecturer in nutritional science, provides the training.
• H.O.P.E. Mentoring Program: The program pairs incarcerated juveniles with college mentors, who support the student in his or her effort to avoid recidivism by obtaining and maintaining employment. It currently runs out of the IU Bloomington and IU Kokomo campus. The grant will support travel of IU Kokomo undergraduate students to the Logansport Correctional Facility and Camp Summit, and will fund an undergraduate assistant for Niki Weller, assistant professor of sociology, the IU Kokomo site coordinator.
• IU Kokomo Cougar Career Experience Externship: About 10 juniors and seniors in humanities programs will shadow IU alumni working in their area of focus, conduct occupational interviews, network, and participate in a business dinner in Charlotte, North Carolina. Brittany Ravas, career and accessibility coordinator, leads the program.
• Mental Health First Aid Facilitator Training (two grants): The program teaches how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental disorders and substance abuse disorders. Elizabeth Barnett, director of counseling and psychological services, and Audra Dowling, dean of students, will earn certification to provide Mental Health First Aid training to members of the campus and community at large.
• Philosophy for Children: The program’s goal is to help lower socioeconomic status students, and those classified as slow learners, by offering Philosophy for Children training, focused on critical thinking and reasoning, to area elementary school teachers. Jacob Castleberry, a junior from Kokomo, leads this effort.
• Teaching PowerPoint and Digital Storytelling to Women in a Domestic Violence Shelter: Funds cover expenses for students in a Using Computers in Education class to teach computer skills to 15 clients in a domestic violence shelter, to help them transition to independence and gain workforce and/or college success. Christina Romero-Ivanova, acting assistant professor of education, teaches the class.
• Women in Business Student Association WBE trip: Members will visit businesses owned by women in Chicago, to discuss the realities, challenges, and opportunities of being a female entrepreneur and/or executive. It is led by Gabby VanAlstine, director of human resources.