PNW announces faculty promotions
Nine Purdue University Northwest faculty members recently received approval by the Purdue University Board of Trustees for academic promotions starting in the 2025-26 academic year, according to a release.
Faculty members promoted to the rank of professor include: Christopher Belous, professor of Couple and Family Therapy; Patti Ludwig-Beymer, professor of Nursing; Claudia Mich, professor of Marketing; Maged Mikhail, professor of Mechatronics Engineering Technology; Yu Ouyang, professor of Political Science; and Shengyong Zhang, professor of Mechanical Engineering.
Faculty members promoted to the rank of associate professor include: Patrick Keegan, associate professor of Education; and Afshin Zahraee, associate professor of Construction Engineering and Management Technology. Faculty member Shontrai Irving was promoted to the rank of clinical professor of Business Law.
Dean named of the College of Humanities at PNW
Following a national search, Richard Severe will join Purdue University Northwest as dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, effective July 1, a release said.
Severe most recently served as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Valparaiso University. He previously served at Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey. At PNW, Severe will lead an academic college offering more than 20 programs at the undergraduate, master’s and applied doctoral levels.
He earned his Ph.D. in Medieval Literature from Purdue University in West Lafayette. He earned his master’s degree in English Literature Education and his bachelor’s degree in English, both from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical (A&M) University, the release said.
Chaosium donates game sets to VU
Chaosium Inc., the award-winning game company founded in 1975, has donated books and multiple starter sets of its role-playing games — Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, and Pendragon — to Valparaiso University’s new Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment, a release said.
The Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment, which opened in February with support from the Ball Venture Fund, is housed in the Valparaiso University Center for the Arts. The Center offers a space for students and visitors to play, study, and create games of all types — from card games to digital experiences.
For information, contact Martin Buinicki at martin.buinicki@valpo.edu.
Friends group plans Indiana land purchase
The Friends of the Kankakee voted April 1 to create a budget line and start raising funds to buy conservation land on the Kankakee River in Indiana, a release said.
The group was formed in 2000 to promote the Grand Kankakee Marsh National Wildlife Refuge as approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1999. The original concepts for the Refuge included 20,000 acres of restored wetlands and floodplain connecting existing Indiana DNR Lands, the release said.
The Indiana fundraising project will be called the Grand Kankakee Marsh Fund. The Grand Marsh Fund budget line will be restricted for use in Indiana and has been seeded with a $5,000 donation from a former board member, the release said. For information, call 765-427-4345.
Franciscan partners bring health initiative to Michigan City
Franciscan Health Michigan City is partnering with the city and the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention for a new initiative in May and June aimed at helping residents get moving to improve their overall health and well-being, a release said.
Move with the Mayor is scheduled to take place on May 3 at Krueger Memorial Park, 801 Liberty Trail; on May 24 at Pullman Field Park, 550 W. 4th St.; May 31 at Water Tower Park at 301 Broadway St. and June 14 at the Michigan City Police Department at 1201 E. Michigan Blvd. Registration begins on-site at 10:30 a.m. followed by a brief health talk by a physician or clinical staff member and a variety of physical activities.
The events are free and open to the public. For information, contact Nila Williams at Nila.Williams@franciscanalliance.org.
Franciscan VASIA program hosts training
Franciscan Health’s Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults program is hosting free training sessions this spring for those interested in becoming court-appointed guardians, according to a release.
The Lake County courts collaborate with Franciscan Health to provide trained, supervised volunteers to serve as court-appointed agents to assist elderly and incapacitated adults. The program, now in its 23rd year, partners with programs serving elderly and incapacitated adults across Lake County to develop a continuum of elder law advocacy and guardianship services, the release said.
Training for new volunteers is scheduled to take place during seven sessions from 5-8 p.m. on weeknights (excluding Fridays) from April 21-30 at Franciscan Health Dyer Medical Pavillion South, 2150 Gettler St., Suite 200. For more information or to register, contact Julie Mignogna at 219-407-6762 or julie.mignogna@franciscanalliance.org.
