NEW ALBANY, Ind. (April 18, 2023) – Approximately 375 people attended the 2023 IU Southeast Chancellor’s Medallion Dinner, which brought in more than $100,500 from donations, ticket sales, sponsorships, and a silent auction.
Interim Chancellor Kelly A. Ryan delivered the keynote address at the dinner, held Saturday, April 8, at Caesars Southern Indiana. In her remarks, Ryan said the impact of scholarship changes lives. “Each student comes to us with their own set of circumstances and some of those are quite challenging. But they leave us with hope and certainty for a better and brighter future.”
Ryan also spoke of recent campus achievements including the development of the IU Southeast 2030 strategic plan focusing on student success, impactful research, and service to the state and region. Notable achievements included the expansion of hands-on learning opportunities for every undergraduate major to better prepare students for future careers, partnerships with the Novaparke Innovation and Technology Campus in Floyd County, and a 50 percent increase in student involvement in the annual student research and creativity conference.
Incoming Chancellor, Debbie Ford, was formally introduced to the supportive crowd and expressed her gratitude to the donors present as well as her enthusiasm to continue to expand on the good works of IU Southeast as she begins her duties on July 1.
This year’s Chancellor’s Medallion recognized community award winners, Sally Newkirk, retired director of the Carnegie Center for Art & History, and Laura McGuirk, retired educator and post-secondary counselor from New Albany High School.
In addition to the community award winners, the dinner recognized eight Chancellor’s Medallion scholarship recipients for their academic achievement and leadership potential. The scholarship recipients included Reece Grace of Louisville, KY; Keziah Jones of Olathe, KS; Courtney Kessinger of Greenville, IN; Hannah Fisher of Brownstown, IN; Sierra French of New Albany, IN; Jack Harrison of New Albany, IN; Ashton Minton of Paoli, IN; and Cheri Receveur of New Albany, IN.