$1 Million - Valparaiso University Alumni Association

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                                 $1 Million.
    Because of you, Day of Giving 2021 set a record with total giving of more than $1
    MILLION — INCREDIBLE! We are still finalizing the total, but do know that it will
       exceed the $1 million mark. Please stay tuned for an update later this week.
    Thank you so much for making Day of Giving 2021 the most successful yet and
                  showing the world that we are Proud to be Valpo!

ALUMNI NEWS

Valpo Faculty Members Awarded Contract with Idaho National
Laboratory
Two Valparaiso University faculty members, Julie Peller, Ph.D., professor of
chemistry, and Michael Watters, Ph.D., professor of biology, have been awarded
a contract with the Idaho National Laboratory. Professors Peller and Watters will

seek to accelerate the degradation process of plastics to dramatically reduce the
environmental impact of plastic waste, utilizing a gamma irradiator at the
Laboratory to expedite decomposition processes that occur naturally in the
environment. They will also attempt to identify organisms that can break down
treated plastics naturally to further eliminate waste in the environment.
Read more from valpo.edu.

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Nonprofit Organization Recognizes Justin Barney ’05 as One of the
Nation’s Best Teachers
Justin, who teaches Spanish at Denver Green School, credits his mentor, the
late Professor Alan Bloom, with instilling in him a passion for teaching and
compassion for his students. “A lot of times I would watch a video of myself
teaching ... I would think, I look like Professor Bloom— animated, big hand
movements, doing crazy stuff, keeping kids on the edge of their seats, just a
lightning bolt of inspiration.”
Read more from Honored.

Valparaiso University Receives $5M Grant from Lilly Endowment to
Fund Higher Education Collaboration
Valparaiso University is one of 16 Indiana colleges and universities that will be
supported by funding in the final phase of Charting the Future, an initiative
designed to help colleges and universities in Indiana assess and prioritize the
most significant challenges and opportunities they face as higher education
institutions and develop strategies to address them.
Read more at valpo.edu.

                                Support Valpo Students

UPCOMING EVENTS
See more at alumni.valpo.edu/events.

                                           APR

                                            22
  Feast of Feasts, Holy Day of Holy Days: The Joy of Pascha
  Apr. 22, 2021, 7 p.m. Central
  Alumni are invited to attend this event presented by our campus partners:
  Join Professor Nicholas Denysenko, Jochum Chair, to learn the mysteries of Orthodox
  Pascha. Moderated by University Pastor, Rev. James Wetzstein. This lecture will take
  place virtually over Zoom, and attendees will receive the link to connect to the call upon
  registration.
  Register

  Full event replays and highlights of past events are available on the Valpo
  Alumni YouTube channel.

FEATURED ALUMNI

Sangeetha Rayapati ’97 Elected Mayor of Moline, Illinois
Sangeetha, who defeated the incumbent mayor handily, said “I have a lot of
hope and expectation. I'm very, very thankful to the community for seeing
the possibilities that new leadership can bring.”
Read more from the Quad City Times.

Scott Drew ’94 MALS Leads Baylor to NCAA Men’s Basketball
Championship
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing us with this opportunity
tonight,” Scott said after the game. “I know the guys have worked really

hard. And I'm so happy they get a chance to celebrate now.”
   Read more from ESPN.

 QUICK READS

 Martin Sonnenberg ’91 was named CEO of Pines Village in Valparaiso.

 Grand Rapids’ assistant city attorney Amber Roper ’00, ’03 J.D. Beebe was named
 director of diversity and inclusion for the State Bar of Michigan, business law section.

 Christopher Seibert ’05 has been chosen as one of six 2021 Bob King Coaches of the
 Year by his peers in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

 J. Michael “Mike” Tyler, Ph.D., will join Valparaiso University as the associate provost of
 graduate and online education next month.

 Class of 1971, your class reunion Facebook group is now live! Join us to reconnect with
 classmates and get news and updates on Homecoming 2021.

 A memorial service for founding Christ College dean Richard Baepler, Ph.D., ’11H, who
 passed away in November 2020, was held in the Chapel of the Resurrection on April 16.

 Valpo students Drake Wolan ’21 and Noah Marshall ’22 are launching the first College of
 Business alumni podcast this spring and are looking for College of Business alumni to chat
 with them as featured guests. Please fill out this form to express your interest in being
 among the first guests for this new podcast series.

VALPO VIEWS
The multi-phase Emory Bauer Field renovation project is in full swing. To date, more than
$800,000 has been raised, including leadership gifts Lynn Scheutzow ’74 Young and Carl
Young ’73 and the Deetjen family. In addition to new turf, the renovated facility will also feature
the ability to stream games on ESPN digital platforms. In case you missed it, President Padilla
joined the team for practice on Day of Giving and hit a few balls himself!

Torchbearers

Join us in recognizing Valpo grads doing great things for their communities and for a
world that needs them. To tune in to Torchbearers, the Valpo Alumni Podcast, search in
any podcast platform, visit the Valpo Alumni YouTube channel, or listen at
alumni.valpo.edu/podcast.

                                  Office of Alumni Engagement
                                       1100 Campus Dr S
                                    Valparaiso, IN 46383 USA

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