The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented at the annual Circle of Leadership Celebration to an IU Columbus alumnus who has made outstanding professional contributions, accomplishments, and service to the community and to IU Columbus.
You are invited to submit nominations. The nomination deadline is June 30. Nominations can be e-mailed to bvogel9@iu.edu, faxed to 812.314.8503, or sent via U.S. mail to Indiana University Columbus (IU Columbus) Alumni Association, 4601 Central Avenue, Columbus, IN 47203.
2018 Recipient: Mr. Chris Reading
Previous Recipients:
- 2017: Sharon Mangas
- 2016: Ruth Reeves
- 2015: Julie McCawley
- 2014: James Worton
- 2013: Laura Hurt
- 2012: Kathy Compton
- 2011: Cynthia Felsten
- 2010: Mary Ann Nunn
- 2008: Kevin McCracken
- 2007: Paul Ashbrook
- 2006: Randy Allman
- 2005: Christine Beach
- 2004: Dr. Brenda Smith
The Excellence in Diversity Award at IU Columbus recognizes and honors demonstrated commitment and outstanding efforts toward creating a diverse and inclusive community.
Each year, IU Columbus recognizes one campus initiative and one community initiative that meet the defined criteria. Recipients can be individuals, organization, groups, units, projects, or institutions.
The award is presented each January during the university’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
Nominations for the Excellence in Diversity Award are due each November.
- For complete awards criteria, nomination instructions, and the nomination form, visit the Diversity Council webpage.
- You may also contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor & Dean at 812.348.7226 or covcd@iu.edu.
2021 Recipients:
- Matt Souza, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor and Dean for Strategy
- EcO Attainment Network of the Community Education Coalition
Previous Recipients:
2020
- Riah Coley, Academic Advisor, Mentoring and Coaching
- Legado Spanish Immersion Academy at Clifty Creek Elementary School
2019
- Latino/American Organization of Volunteers in Education (LOVE)
- Heritage Fund, the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, Welcoming Community Initiative
2018
- Dr. Kevin Jones, Associate Professor, Management
- Su Casa Columbus
2017
- Aimee Zoeller, Lecturer, Sociology
- African American Fund of Bartholomew County
2016
- Dr. Kathy Auberry, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences
- City of Columbus
2015
- Dr. Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, Associate Professor, English
- Foundation for Youth (FFY)
2014
- Dr. Cheryl Crisp, Assistant Professor, Nursing
- CAMEO (Columbus Area Multi-Ethnic Organization)
2013
- Carol Kostrzewsky, Associate Director, Career Services
- InterFaith Forum Columbus
2012
- Gil Palmer
- Rocio Rodriguez
2011
- IU Columbus Gay Straight Alliance
- Columbus Regional Hospital Diversity Strategy Office
About the Award
Edna Folger set the early standard for teachers. In her honor, Arvin Foundation originally established the award which was designed to raise awareness about the immeasurable influence teachers have on their students and to recognize the image of teachers as important community role models.
Sponsored by SIHO, the Community Education Coalition, and the IU Columbus Center for Teaching and Learning, the award includes a stipend and a personal award from the Center for Teaching and Learning. The recipient’s name will be added to a permanent plaque located in the Columbus Learning Center. Any full-time, elementary, or secondary teacher or educator working in a Bartholomew County public, private, or parochial school is eligible to receive the annual award. Classroom, special education, or specials teachers; certified educators; counselors; and administrators are all eligible.
For more information on the Edna Folger Outstanding Teacher Award, including nomination instructions and due dates, contact Marsha VanNahmen at the IU Columbus Center for Teaching and Learning (mvannahm@iu.edu; 812-375-7576).
Nominations
In general, nominations should include why the nominee has gone above and beyond the expectations of a good teacher based on his or her:
- Dedication to the profession
- Ability to motivate students
- Teaching competency and ability
- Innovation in curriculum or style of teaching
- Relationship to students, parents, and peers
- Example as a community role model
- Other contributions
2021 Recipient
Peggy Myers, of Columbus East High School received the 2021 Edna V. Folger Outstanding Teacher Award. Peggy was honored during a special presentation at Columbus East on May 20, 2021. Mrs. Myers will also be recognized during the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting held in the fall of 2021.
Mrs. Myers goes above and beyond in all dimensions of her life – both in and outside the classroom. She is a committed advocate for her students, ensuring they have every learning and life opportunity possible. She designs individual plans for each of her students to help them reach their learning goals and fullest potential. Along with the help of her staff, she patiently teaches social and job skills along the way.
Myers’ innovative and creative approaches teach valuable life skills that enhance independence and help her students achieve personal happiness and success. The Columbus East Coffee Cart offers opportunities for students to develop social skills by taking orders, preparing and delivering beverages, and accepting payments. Several years ago, Mrs. Myers introduced Best Buddies. This program involves more than 50 students and creates integrated employment and leadership development opportunities along with one-on-one friendships for individuals with developmental disabilities. She is the coach for the IHSAA Unified track teams. The teams involve over 60 students and have earned national recognition receiving the Unified Champion School National award.
Peggy is a warm individual, who gives selflessly of her time and resources. She has a passion for serving others with a humble, servant heart. She is active with the ARC of Bartholomew County and has served as president, vice-president, and secretary. She presents at state and national conferences, freely sharing her professional knowledge, expertise, passion, and skills with colleagues.
Myers was nominated by a former Columbus East High School student who was so inspired through her interaction with Peggy that she is now majoring in special education at Ball State University.
As part of the recognition, Mrs. Myers received a monetary gift from SIHO; an inscribed clock from the IU Columbus Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL); and her name will be added to a plaque in the Columbus Learning Center which lists all previous Folger Award winners.
The MBA Community Partner Award recognizes those organizations and individuals who have been exceptionally engaged with the Indiana University MBA program in Columbus and with IU Columbus as a university.
It makes public our appreciation for exceptional support of, and contribution to, the vision of graduate business education that drives the MBA program at IU Columbus.
Eligibility Criteria
- The award may be given to an individual, company, or organization.
- The recipient should embrace a general management focus of the program, an integrated pedagogy, community engagement, diversity, and the kind of boldness that is consistent with the culture of Columbus.
2020 Recipient: Mayor James Lienhoop
Previous Recipients:
- 2019: Cummins Inc.
- 2018: Mary Starvaggi
- 2017: Brian Hardy
- 2016: Elwood Staffing
- 2015: Jan Holm
- 2014: Columbus Regional Health (CRH)
- 2013: Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC)
- 2012: Alpha Cohort
- 2011: Cummins Inc.
- 2010: United Way of Bartholomew County
- 2009: Arvin Gift Fund
- 2008: Harold Force
- 2007: City of Columbus
- 2006: Arvin Meritor
- 2005: Jack Hess
- 2003: Columbus Regional Hospital
- 2002: Dick Johnson
The James G. Simms Leadership Award at IU Columbus is awarded to inspiring individuals who have generously given their time, dedication, and leadership to advance IU Columbus’s mission.
Simms, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rose Polytechnic Institute (now Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) and an MBA from Indiana University, came to Columbus in 1950 to work at what was then known as the Cummins Engine Company. A Columbus resident for many years, Mr. Simms joined the J.J.B. Hilliard & Son company, now known as Hilliard Lyons LLC, where he spent 33 years as a branch manager and then vice president.
Simms was dedicated to community service in Columbus, Nashville, and other communities throughout southern Indiana. In the early 1970s, he was an integral member of a committee charged with establishing an extension of Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indianapolis) in Columbus. Even after the state legislature initially denied funding to establish the campus, Simms worked behind the scenes to make what is now the Indiana University Columbus (IU Columbus) campus a reality.
Nominations
The recipient of the award is recognized each year at the university’s Circle of Leadership celebration, which is typically held in November. Contact the Office of Development & External Affairs at IU Columbus for complete details, including nomination instructions and due dates.
2020 Recipient: Tom Harmon
Previous Recipients:
- 2019: Gregg Summerville
- 2018: Dr. David Elwood
- 2017: Jacqueline D. Franz
- 2016: Mary Ann Nunn
- 2015: Dr. Paul Bippen
- 2014: Cummins Inc.
- 2013: Nancy Ann Brown
- 2012: Beverly and James Baker