IUPUI receives $10.5M to conduct COVID-19 contact tracing
The Fairbanks School of Public Health will hire, train and manage over 300 contact tracers to track the spread of COVID-19 in Indianapolis through Dec. 31.
In collaboration with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Dr. Virginia Caine of the Marion County Public Health Department, the Fairbanks School received $10.5 million to expand contact tracing in the city. This funding is part of the nearly $80 million allocated by the City-County Council in June for programming aimed at helping residents impacted by COVID-19.
Contact tracing tracks the person-to-person transmission of an infectious pathogen like SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19.
The full release has additional information about contact tracing, reducing health inequities and how to apply.
IndyGo passes on sale from Parking and Transportation Services
Students can now purchase an IndyGo S-Pass from the IUPUI Parking and Transportation Services office. The discounted S-Pass is $30 for students and must be purchased directly from the IUPUI office; it is not available through IndyGo.
After activation, the S-Pass is good for transportation on all IndyGo fixed routes for 31 consecutive days.
Staff and faculty can purchase other IndyGo passes through the parking office for the regular price. Passes available for sale are listed on the Parking and Transportation website.
Liberal Arts is new home to Association of Religion Data Archives
A major international resource for information on religion will soon be housed at the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.
The Association of Religion Data Archives, which disseminates more than 40,000 data files each year from an archive of over 1,000 collections and supports more than 17 million static pages of content, is transitioning from Penn State to the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture, located in Cavanaugh Hall.
“This archive is internationally renowned and a tremendous resource for scholars as well as local religious communities and congregations,” said Philip Goff, the center’s executive director and Chancellor’s Professor of American Studies. “It’s an honor to be able to house these archives at IUPUI, as they will help further our mission to be a leader in religious scholarship.”
Andrew Whitehead, who joined the School of Liberal Arts faculty this summer and is an associate professor of sociology, will direct the ARDA’s activities.
Center for Transfer and Adult Students launched
As of July 1, transfer and adult students now have one centralized location to receive assistance in navigating their unique collegiate journey.
The new Center for Transfer and Adult Students combines the Degree Completion Office, the Passport Office and Transfer Student Services into one cohesive center.
Read the Center for Transfer and Adult Students’ release for more information.
IU Online Newsletter highlights spring’s transition to remote learning
In March, all IU faculty and staff converted 14,000 sections of face-to-face classes to remote delivery in just two-and-a-half weeks. Read the summer edition of the IU Online Newsletter to find out how IU’s model for online education meant that faculty and staff had the experience, resources and technology they needed when COVID-19 struck.
Holcomb proclaims August as Black Philanthropy Month
As part of its work to create more opportunities for Black communities, the Indiana University Black Philanthropy Circle requested and received a proclamation from Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb officially designating August as Black Philanthropy Month in Indiana.
Observed every August, Black Philanthropy Month is a global celebration and concerted campaign to elevate giving by those of African descent. It was created by Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland and the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network in 2011 to commemorate the United Nations International Year and Decade for People of African Descent.
“We are thrilled and believe it is especially important this year to demonstrate support and solidarity,” said Valaida Fullwood, Black Philanthropy Month co-architect. “It has been nine years since the originating state, Minnesota, proclaimed its support. We hope that other states, cities, and corporations and organizations will follow Indiana’s lead and join this important cause.”
Read the full release for more information.
U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program competition open
The competition for the 2021-22 U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program is now open.
The program sends approximately 470 American scholars and professionals annually to more than 125 countries, where they lecture and/or conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.
A few facts to keep in mind:
- Grant lengths vary and are specified in the award description.
- Grant benefits vary but generally include travel and living expenses for the awardee and accompanying dependents.
- The program is open to all U.S. citizens (permanent residents are not eligible).
- Application deadline: Sept. 15.
Explore the Catalog of Awards and join the My Fulbright online community for updates and to access helpful resources for applicants.
Visit the CIES website for application details. For more information, contact IUPUI’s Fulbright representative Leslie Bozeman.
IU Online Conference will be 2-day virtual event
The Office of Online Education, in collaboration with the Office of Collaborative Academic Programs and the eLearning Design and Services team, is hosting the fifth annual IU Online Conference on Oct. 29 and 30.
The conference will be entirely virtual and is free and open to all IU faculty, staff and administrators who are passionate about best practices in online education.
This year’s theme is “Sustaining Student Success.”
Register now with no cancellation fee.
Follow IUPUI’s United Way social media accounts
Unable to hold in-person events because of the pandemic, such as its typical kickoff luncheon or silent auction, United Way is looking for help in driving support for its initiatives.
Please follow and like United Way’s Facebook and Twitter accounts as it prepares to launch its campaign in September. Information about IUPUI’s efforts will be shared digitally.
Spirit & Place celebrating 25th year
Spirit & Place, a collaborative community initiative housed in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, is celebrating its 25-year anniversary with a new grant from Lilly Endowment.
The grant will support the Spirit & Place Festival and events in 2021 and 2022. The grant will also help the School of Liberal Arts raise the visibility of Spirit & Place and deepen its connections with organizations throughout Central Indiana.
Spirit & Place’s mission is to catalyze civic engagement and enduring change through creative collaborations among the arts, humanities and religion. It offers an award-winning platform that builds civic capacity and connects thousands of Central Indiana residents annually through interactive experiences, community conversations and skill-building opportunities. These one-of-a-kind events help launch innovative experiments, reveal invisible stories and spark radical collaborations that build stronger communities.
“With its focus on the arts, religion and the humanities, Spirit & Place is a perfect fit for the School of Liberal Arts,” said Robert Rebein, the school’s interim dean. “We’re going to see some fabulous partnerships develop as a result of this collaboration.”
August photo caption contest
Welcome back to campus! To help you find your way, we hereby supply a vintage photo of the IUPUI campus map. Enter the IUPUI Special Collections and Archives Photo Caption Contest to caption it, and you may win a Fabulous Prize!
Congratulations to Tim Kleyn for winning the July caption contest with his caption: “Use your brain, Elsa – if you want a fresh news story then keep your newspaper in the fridge.” He wins our Fabulous Prize!
