DONOR SPOTLIGHTS
Ogle Center lobby named for Hugh and Patty Cress
From volunteering at the Paul W. Ogle Cultural & Community Center to building a living legacy through generous monetary donations, Patty Cress and her late husband, Hugh, showcased their dedication to the arts in Southern Indiana and Indiana University many times over the past several decades.
Patty and Hugh both graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 1970, Hugh earning his Bachelor of Science in education and Patty earning her Bachelor of Arts in history before moving to Jeffersonville. Hugh immediately started working on his master’s degree in education and was among one of the first classes to receive a master’s degree from IU Southeast. Patty, who also earned a master’s degree from IU Southeast, soon joined him.
According to Patty, “IU Southeast was close to home, affordable, and offered a good graduate education.”
The couple decided to retire in the mid-1990s so they could spend more time volunteering in the community. When the opportunity to volunteer at the Ogle Center presented itself, they jumped at the chance to make a difference in their community while supporting the arts and to learn more about the impact the Ogle Center had on the lives of those in Southern Indiana.
“We were excited that Southern Indiana now had a quality venue where people could see high-quality entertainment without crossing the river!” said Patty. “The Ogle Center met many of our needs. We had a chance to volunteer in the community, we got to see great entertainment and we got to help our Alma Mater.”
The couple soon decided to extend their generosity by making a monetary donation to the Ogle Center to be used for operations, programming and to advance its mission in providing quality music and performances for the campus, its students and the greater community of Southern Indiana. Due to their 22-year dedication to IU Southeast and the Ogle Center as volunteers, members of the Ogle Center advisory committee and donors to the center, in 2018 IU Southeast announced that the lobby of the Ogle Center would officially be named the “Hugh and Patty Cress Lobby.”
After a long battle with cancer, Hugh Cress passed away in February 2018. A celebration of his life was held in conjunction with the dedication of the lobby.
“The Ogle Center had become our passion, so we wanted to help it maintain its quality and also enable it to grow,” said Patty. “Hugh and I always hoped that our gift would make other alums consider giving to IUS.”
Hugh and Patty Cress
From left to right: Chancellor Ray Wallace, Vice Chancellor Dana Wavle, IU Executive Vice President John Applegate, Patty Cress, IU Foundation Vice President Jonathan Purvis, Vice Chancellor Betty Russo and Director of Development David DeWitt at the Cress Lobby dedication at the Ogle Center.
Carl deGraaf funds memorial scholarship and pledges 94 acres of land to IU Southeast
Carl deGraaf, retired professor of educational psychology at IU Southeast, has been a generous and consistent donor at IU Southeast for more than 25 years. In 2015, he committed $50,000 to the institution in order to endow the Karen R. deGraaf Memorial Scholarship in support of undergraduate students in the IU Southeast School of Nursing in honor of his late wife.
A native of Michigan, deGraaf earned his Ph.D. at Southern Illinois University in 1973. He and his wife Karen settled in Southern Indiana in the early 1980s, and he began teaching at IU Southeast. He built an enthusiastic following among students and published or co-published on topics ranging from the integration of technology into teaching to the way expectations based on ethnicity or socioeconomic status can influence outcomes in intelligence testing.
In 2017, deGraaf pledged his farm and home for future use at IU Southeast.
The university has used deGraaf’s 94 acres in Elizabeth, Indiana, for academic research, sustainability efforts, recreation and natural resource and habitat preservation. DeGraaf’s home on the property will be used for faculty and staff retreats and conferences.
Nearly half of the property is a forested area with several marked walking trails. Professor of biology and herbarium curator David Taylor has taken students to the property to study the local flora, fauna and ecology.
“I’ve nurtured this piece of property with the dream and the hope of sharing it with other people after I can no longer use it,” deGraaf said. “Giving the farm and its facilities to IU Southeast just makes sense. I’m thrilled to put it in the university’s care and know that people in the community can enjoy it, use it and learn from it just as I have.”
Chancellor Ray Wallace and Carl deGraaf, retired professor of educational psychology at IU Southeast.
Professor of biology and herbarium curator David Taylor explores the deGraaf property.
Former IU Southeast faculty member funds scholarship for nursing students
Jacquelyn Reid’s father instilled many values in her when she was growing up, some of the most important being a “thrifty” mindset and never taking things for granted. This is, in part, why she decided to fund the John Chinnock Nursing Scholarship in honor of her father.
“My father was raised during the stock market crash and he lived amid the Second World War, there were a lot of shortages of food and things we take for granted every day were limited resources,” said Reid, an IU Southeast professor emerita and former interim dean of the School of Nursing. “That had an influence on me as I went through the workforce. I tried to pay for school as I went and not incur a lot of debt.”
Reid began teaching at IU Southeast’s School of Nursing in 1999 and served as the Interim Dean of the School of Nursing from 2013-2015 before retiring that same year. A two-time Indiana University alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and a Doctor of Education from IU Bloomington. She also has a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Spalding University and a Master of Science in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University.
“Having been through the education system myself, I know how often money becomes an issue with students,” said Reid. “I was very aware of students who struggled going through their nursing program and I thought I could ease someone’s struggle by funding this scholarship.”
To be eligible for the scholarship students must be in good scholastic standing with a 3.0 GPA or better and have demonstrated financial need. The scholarship is recurring and awarded to both a graduate and an undergraduate student. Preference is given to graduate students with a nursing education focus.
Jacquelyn Reid’s father, John Chinnock.
IU Southeast Professor Emerita Jacquelyn Reid.
Business school at IU Southeast gets $700,000 gift from local donors to create Professional Sales Center
In 2016, Indiana University Southeast announced a $700,000 gift to the School of Business by Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders.
The generous gift created The Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders Professional Sales Center. The Professional Sales Center utilizes state-of-the-art facilities, instruction and curricula to draw high-ability students, prepare them for selling as a career and connect them with Kentuckiana region sales professionals and organizations via internships and other learning opportunities.
The primary goal of the Professional Sales Center is to promote selling skill development in the Kentuckiana region. Programs of study have been developed for business majors, those majoring in areas outside of business, and for non-degree seekers who wish to pursue a certificate program.
The Professional Sales Center also houses the professional selling major and any for-credit certificates and minors. Additionally, the Professional Sales Center works with community partners to provide non-credit programming such as sales seminars, training and professional development to the business and non-profit community.
“It’s such a privilege for us to be part of a project that positions IU Southeast as the premier provider of sales education in our region,” Carlton Sanders said. “More important, we know that this center will directly benefit students who will be exceptionally well-prepared for a career in sales. We are going to see a positive impact in our business community for years to come because of this state-of-the-art facility and first-class, elite program.”
The Sanders, both IU Southeast School of Business alumni, have made many significant contributions to Indiana University and IU Southeast over the years. At IU Southeast, the Sanders have supported the Honors Program, the Judge Carlton E. and Sue Sanders Chair in Business and Economics and the Sanders Speaker Series endowment. They have also funded the Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders International Study Scholarship, the Sanders Trading Lab and the Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders Laboratory for Nursing Education.
“We’re so excited to help establish such a unique learning center at the IU Southeast School of Business,” Sue Sanders said. “One of the most critical challenges facing college graduates is the ability to transition and thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. The Professional Sales Center will prepare students with the skills necessary to fill the jobs that are in demand right now and equip them for long-term success.”
Judge Carlton and Sue Sanders
From left to right: Vice Chancellor Betty Russo, Dean David Eplion, Sue Sanders, Chancellor Ray Wallace and Chris Cox
New fine arts program on the horizon at IU Southeast
Thanks to a $1.5 million bequest through the Brian and Cynthia Jones Artist in Excellence Fund, a new fine arts program at IU Southeast will bring master artists and creative scholars of national and international renown to teach, work and research at the university on a temporary basis.
The Master Artists and Scholars Program will attract prominent multi-disciplinary artists, art historians, authors and critics to share their knowledge with the campus and community.
Through a diverse mix of lectures, workshops, seminars and gallery exhibitions, the Master Artists and Scholars Program will serve as an invaluable resource for IU Southeast students and the local public to develop a greater appreciation for and understanding of contemporary art, design and scholarship.
Both Jones and his wife, Cynthia Torp, have close ties to IU Southeast. Jones taught fine arts at IU Southeast for 36 years and, since he never had biological children of his own, always considered his students to be members of his family. Torp graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from IU Southeast in 1984 and has hired six graduates for her visitor destination design and build company, Solid Light.
Torp and Jones envision that the program will enhance the Fine Arts program’s reputation in the region, as well as shine a brighter light on the existing talent the program produces.
Master Artists and Scholars Program invitees will be selected through a search process determined by a committee composed of Fine Arts studio and art history faculty.
The program seeks to accomplish three goals:
- To enhance the attractiveness of the Fine Arts program to potential students by bringing renowned artists to IU Southeast.
- To encourage the development of future honors students and programs by piloting an Honors Seminar and an Intensive Honors Workshop as venues for the Master Artists’ and Scholars’ teaching.
- To create a stronger identity for the art program by encouraging outstanding Master Artists and Scholars to focus on their own professional development while at IU Southeast.
IU Southeast student in painting class
From left to right: Brian Jones, Cynthia Torp and Chancellor Ray Wallace smile together during the 2017 IU Southeast Founder’s Day Luncheon.
IU Southeast alumni donate $1 million towards business scholarship
In June of 2016, IU Southeast announced a generous gift to the School of Business by alumni Jerry and Sheila Wheat. The $100,000 gift created the Jerry E. and Sheila R. Wheat Scholarship for IU Southeast School of Business students.
A few months later, the couple gave $1 million to provide additional funding to the scholarship.
“As a business professor, one of the things that hurts our economy terribly is when these students come out of school with so much debt that they can’t afford to get married, can’t afford to buy a decent car, can’t afford to buy decent clothes,” Jerry Wheat said. “If I can make a contribution to help students finish school without being in so much debt, maybe somebody else can, too.”
Jerry Wheat, ’64, was a professor of business administration at IU Southeast for 29 years. He was an Air Force veteran and the dean at the School of Business for a decade before retiring in 2006. As vice chair, treasurer and board member of the World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, Jerry Wheat has pursued “citizen diplomacy” in providing foreign business leaders with examples of American best practices. He continues to contribute to the international business field through consultancy and publications, with concentrations in ethics and transition economies. Sheila Wheat, ’81, graduated with a general studies degree and enjoyed a successful career working in advertising agencies in Louisville. She is now retired and enjoys gardening at the Wheats’ home in Corydon.
The Wheats also support the George M. Hand Scholarship – in honor of Jerry Wheat’s grandfather – for IU Southeast business students of marketing and management. They also created the Jerry E. and Sheila R. Wheat International Study Scholarship, designated for IU Southeast business majors interested in marketing or management who intend to study aboard.
From left to right: Chancellor Ray Wallace, Sheila Wheat and Jerry Wheat.
IU Southeast business class