Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association

Reaching Out

An e-Newsletter by the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association

Spring! April, 2017
In This Issue
Connect with us!

   

 

 

 

   

   

Spring!



Enjoy the change of seasons and warmer weather and be reminded how grateful we remain for your support. Thank you.

Mike Shumate, Past President

1. Rhodes Scholar
Morgan Mohr
 
  
   
Congratulations to IU student Morgan Mohr, a 2017 Rhodes Scholar and the only student this year from a Big Ten university to receive this prestigious award! Morgan has become the 17th IU student to be named a Rhodes Scholar in the history of the university. For more information, please see the  university release   Below is Morgan's student profile.   
 

Morgan Mohr is a senior studying Political Science, History, and Feminist Policy as an Individualized Major. Within her first few weeks on Indiana University's campus, she joined the Freedom Indiana campaign - an effort geared toward defeating HJR-3, a proposed amendment to Indiana's constitution that would have banned marriage equality for LGB people. She eventually rose to lead the entire campus operation, which recruited 2,225 students to hold 8,335 conversations with Hoosiers across the state about the bill - numbers that may have made the difference in defeating the legislation.
 
Mohr used the campaign's momentum to revitalize a defunct LGBTQ organization as SKY, an intersectional activist organization dedicated to social justice causes. SKY was awarded the Student Life and Learning Diversity Award in 2015. In her freshman year, Mohr also became the Director of Activism for the then-Women's Student Association and co-led the effort to rebrand the organization as the Feminist Student Association. In that role, Mohr founded Generation Action at IU, a campus initiative supporting Planned Parenthood. Committed to both activist and institutional approaches, Mohr served as Vice-President of the College Democrats and founded Students for Hillary at IU.
 
During her time on campus, Mohr dedicated time to university and community service. She served on the Board of Aeons and the Student Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force and volunteered for Middle Way House, the Kinsey Institute, and Bloomington's Planned Parenthood as a patient escort.
 
A Wells Scholar, Mohr was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and won the Jacob and Lucy Listenfelt Memorial Scholarship and the Dan H. Eikenberry History Department Scholarship for her work in the department.
 
Mohr has pursued a diverse set of professional experiences in the realm of politics and public policy. She has worked five political campaigns, including the campaign for the current mayor of Bloomington, John Hamilton. She has served as an investigator intern for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as a volunteer policy researcher for the United Kingdom's Women's Equality Party, and as a White House intern in the Office of the First Lady for Michelle Obama. Most recently, she worked on Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign, first as an intern to the Chief Operating Officer in Brooklyn and then as Deputy Director of Operations in the battleground state of Florida.
 
Currently, Mohr is working for the Markham Group, a Democratic political consulting firm in Washington, D.C. She will continue on a project for Hiring Our Heroes - the veteran employment initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation until she leaves for Oxford in September 2017. There, she will study Comparative Social Policy as a Rhodes Scholar.

2.  Maurer Moot Court Teams
Abby Bosch (left ), Richard Benson, Ana Shekhar and Kristin Riebsomer

Two teams of IU law students competed this spring in the Williams Institute Moot Court Competition at UCLA Law School, the only national moot court competition devoted to legal issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. The teams' participation was financially supported by the Maurer School of Law and generous donations by members of the Maurer LGBT Alumni Advisory Board. The competition provides law students the opportunity to write an appellate brief on a current legal topic and to argue before panels of judges.
  
This year's problem was very timely, reflecting legal questions that courts are actively grappling with. It required students to brief and argue two matters: whether discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation counts as "sex discrimination" for purposes of Title VII, the federal law prohibiting employment discrimination, and whether a state violates the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause if it prohibits one of its cities from legislating on the question of anti-LGBT discrimination.
  
Maurer's law students participating this year were Richard Benson, Abby Bosch, Kristin Riebsomer and Ana Shekhar. You represented IU well, Richard, Abby, Kristin and Ana, and we're very proud!

  
3. Member Notes
 
Warmest congratulations to our six members:
 

Rob DeCleene, BS '94, later this month will receive the John R. Endwright Alumni Service Award from the IU School of Public Health - Bloomington, which recognizes outstanding service and contribution to the School and IU. Since 2010, Rob has been the Executive Director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka, which is the convention and visitors bureau for St. Joseph County. Previously, he served in various roles with the Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau for nine years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Downtown South Bend Inc.; Studebaker National Museum; and Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. He was awarded the South Bend/Mishawaka "Forty Under Forty" designation.  Rob has served approximately twelve years on the GLBTAA Board, including two terms as President. He currently serves as Secretary of the Board and a member of the Executive Committee.  


Justin R. Garcia, PhD, was recently   named as one of  IUB's Outstanding Junior Faculty  This university award recognizes tenure-track faculty working on nationally recognized research or creative programs. Justin is Ruth Halls assistant professor in the Department of Gender Studies and the Associate Director for Research and Education at the Kinsey Institute. He is also Co-chair of the Interdepartmental Graduate Committee on Human Sexuality. He is a member of the adjunct faculty at the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI, and affiliate faculty in Human Biology, Cognitive Science, and Network Science. Additionally, he is Scientific Advisor to the international dating company, Match.com. He was recognized with an IU Trustee's Teaching Award in 2015. 


Anne P. Massey, PhD, has been selected as the next dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Business. She is scheduled to begin August 7. Anne is currently Dean's Research Professor of Information Systems at IU's Kelley School of Business and Associate Vice President in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. "We are fortunate to have someone with Anne's experience lead the Wisconsin School of Business as its next dean," says Sarah Mangelsdorf, UW-Madison Provost. "Her passion for innovation and forward-thinking research will inspire students and build upon the school's success."  Her research has focused on technology-driven innovation processes and strategies, and the role of information technology, including most recently enterprise social media and 3D virtual environments, on team performance. Anne has received numerous awards for her teaching, including the IU Board of Trustees Teaching Award and Kelley's MBA Distinguished Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. 

 
Steve Sanders, BA '84, recently received the Outstanding Interactive Professor Award from the Maurer School of Law Black Law Students Association.  The award is presented annually, based on a vote of the entire Maurer student body, to a professor who is committed to student learning and engagement both inside and outside the classroom. Steve is a Maurer associate professor of law and long-time GLBTAA director, who writes and speaks frequently on constitutional law, LGBT issues, and higher education. He is also an affiliated faculty member of IU's Department of Gender Studies; Department of Political Science; and Kinsey Institute. He currently serves as chair of the IU Bloomington Faculty Council's Student Affairs Committee. Prior to law school, Steve worked for 16 years in the IU administration, including serving as Assistant to the IU Bloomington Chancellor and Assistant Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.


Cynthia P. Stone, BS '78, MA '08, will be retiring as a Senior Lecturer from IU's Kelley School of Business on May 31, ending 43 years of Indiana University service.  Cindy has distinguished herself as a pioneering leader, passionate educator, tireless volunteer and stellar role model, particularly for young women. Cindy's leadership was enhanced by her election to the IU Board of Trustees, serving from 1993 to 1996. In addition to focusing attention on women's issues, she was the first, and remains the only, openly-gay person to serve on the Board of Trustees! She was a co-founder of the GLBTAA in 1997, and later helped with IU's successful adoption of domestic partner benefits in 2001. She currently serves as vice president of the GLBTAA and is a current member of the IU Alumni Association Executive Council. Cindy and her wife Amy Benckart reside in Bloomington.  


Bryce Wininger, BS '09, MD '13, was recently selected as a  George Ginsberg Fellowship recipient presented by the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training at its annual meeting in San Francisco. This award recognizes excellence and accomplishment in education and training of outstanding medical residents who are pursuing careers as clinical educators or academic administrators. Bryce is currently a fourth-year psychiatry resident at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC. He began residency training at Georgetown in 2013, and is now the Chief Resident of Education. He was named a National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative Scholar in 2015, having submitted a project related to the neurobiology of human attachment. Academic interests include medical toxicology, psychosomatic medicine, psychodynamic psychiatry, and medical education. He will be starting a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in July.
4. GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign
   
Please continue to "spread the word" about our ground-breaking Campaign, which will help endow our GLBTAA Scholarship Program. We recently awarded three academic scholarship for the 2017 spring semester. Each recipient will be featured in one of our Newsletters. One of our recipients is featured in paragraph #5 below. After reviewing another heart-breaking story, we also recently awarded emergency funds to an IU Bloomington student. Since 2005, we have granted 78 scholarships (61 academic scholarships and 17 emergency scholarships) to IU students. Because of your generous support, we will be able to continue providing scholarships well into the future.   
      
Shane L. Windmeyer, MS '97, Executive Director and founder of Campus Pride, has commented about our Scholarship Program, particularly about our emergency grants: "IU remains one of the best campuses for GLBT support in the country. Crisis assistance funding, for example, is now a new benchmark for the Campus Pride Index, and the GLBTAA emergency scholarship is a great example. IU has definitely raised the bar nationally. I'm proud that IU has been a leader in that. IU has always stood as an institution of higher learning that embraces diversity."

We reached an important milestone in the Campaign during our recent Celebration Weekend! At the Neal-Marshall reception, we were presented with a $5,000 check from the IU Foundation by Dan Smith, President and CEO. Then, during the Grazie event, IU professor Bill Yarber presented us with a check getting us to $1 million!   
  
Contributions can be made online at Campaign Contributions  If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Mike Shumate at mikedshumate@gmail.com   or 858-922-6105; or IUAA Alumni Relations Officer Clarence Boone at 800-824-3044. Again, heartfelt gratitude to everyone for supporting our Campaign.
 
THANK YOU, IU alumni, faculty, staff, students, allies and our many friends! You have helped endow our Scholarship Program which will allow us to continue assisting our students for a very long time.
5. Academic Scholarship Recipient
 
Congratulations are extended to Julie Walsh, one of our 2017 Spring Academic Scholarship recipients!  Julie is working toward a PhD in Social Work at IUPUI's School of Social Work, with a primary research interest in the intersection of gender diversity, sexuality and alternative relationship structures. Additional research interests include the way language is used in nonprofit organizations since Julie recently completed a certificate in nonprofit management. Julie received a BME in All-Area Music Education from Butler University in 1999, and a MSW from IUPUI in 2013. Julie is currently a research assistant and field instructor at the School of Social Work. Among an extensive list of experience, activities and accomplishments, she is Founder and Executive Director of GenderNexus, an organization established to empower the gender diverse community to live authentically healthy and holistic lives in all components of individual wellness in central Indiana. On campus, Julie is a member of IUPUI's Graduate and Professional Student Government and serves on the board of the IU School of Social Work Alumni Association. Julie has become a sought-after lecturer on issues such as gender awareness and organizational development. We're proud of you, Julie!
6. Facebook

 

The GLBTAA has had a Facebook page for some time now, but some of you may not be aware of it.  If you haven't already done so, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/iuglbtaa.  "Like" our page and follow our Facebook posts regarding news, updates and information about our events.

 

Like us on Facebook

7. New GLBTAA Director 
 
The GLBTAA has elected as its newest board member Pamela Foohey, associate professor in the Maurer School of Law at IU Bloomington. Professor Foohey, an expert on bankruptcy law, joined the Maurer faculty in 2014. Prior to teaching, she clerked for two federal judges and practiced with the bankruptcy and financial restructuring group of Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis. Professor Foohey received her Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude from New York University's undergraduate Stern School of Business, and her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School. We are grateful for Professor Foohey's commitment to IU's LGBTQ alumni, students, faculty, and staff.

 
8. Mark Your Calendars
 

IUPUI is hosting its fifth annual Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ graduates (with a bachelor's, master's, doctoral or professional degree awarded in December 2016, May 2017, or August 2017) on Thursday, April 27 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the IUPUI Campus Center, Room 405. Graduates are encouraged to invite family and friends. Attendees should RSVP at https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe1/form/SV_etclMgEo95wIpoh

 

 


 


We hope to see all IU Bloomington students who identify as LGBTQ+, or allies of our community, at the inaugural End-of-Year Bash on Thursday, April 27 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the LGBTQ+ Culture Center at 705 East Seventh Street in Bloomington. The get-together will be informal, and there will be picnic food (including vegetarian options), beverages and music!  And, there will be gifts and tassels for our graduating students! There is no cost, and no RSVP is needed.  
  
 
 
The Quarryland Men's Chorus will present its ruby 15th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 30, at 3:00 p.m., at the First United Church, Bloomington, Indiana.  


The eleventh annual Spencer Pride Festival, "We The People," will be held on Saturday, June 3 starting at 10:00 a.m. The GLBTAA is proud to have a booth again this year to welcome all who wish to share in the celebration of this wonderful festival known as "the largest rural LGBTQI gathering in the state." We, of course, will be reminding everyone that IU was named once again to the top 30 LGBT-friendly universities in the nation! Hope to see you in Spencer! 


 

The Circle City IN Pride will be held on Saturday, June 10, starting at 10:00 a.m. The preceding week is full of fun events. For more information, please see http://www.circlecityinpride.org/  
9. GLBTAA Scholarships

 

GLBTAA Academic Scholarships  Academic Scholarships are awarded to IU students enrolled at any IU campus, who are academically strong, as well as active in promoting diversity, tolerance and social justice. Scholarships are awarded to students based upon academic achievement, career goals, financial need, leadership experience, community service and extracurricular activities. Involvement in activities promoting diversity and raising awareness of GLBT and related issues on the student's campus or in his or her community is carefully reviewed by the Board. The maximum award for an Academic Scholarship is $2,000 per semester. An individual student may not receive more than $4,000. The deadline for the Fall 2017 semester is April 15, 2017.

  

IU GLBTAA Emergency Scholarships
Emergency Scholarships are awarded to those students who experience the loss of financial support when they make the courageous decision to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to their families. Emergency Scholarships help to ensure that students need not choose between their education at IU and living life openly and honestly. Emergency Scholarships are awarded to students attending any IU campus. The maximum award for an Emergency Scholarship is $3,000 per semester, and a student may not receive more than $6,000.
  
You can learn more about the GLBTAA Scholarship Program and apply online at: http://alumni.indiana.edu/affiliates/glbt/supporting-community/scholarships.html
10. Membership

 

Encourage your friends to join the GLBTAA. They can visit our website here  and join.  There are no membership dues, and you do not have to be a member of the IUAA, or an IU degree-holder. We are approaching 1,600 members nation-wide, and we're growing! We appreciate your continued commitment! It is because of you that the GLBTAA is in existence, continues to grow and continues to serve our important mission on all eight of IU's campuses. If you are a member and wish to continue receiving our e-Newsletters, please make sure we have a current e-mail address for you.   You can visit https://alumni.indiana.edu/my-iu/index.html to see if your official record, including your e-mail address, is current.  Thank you for your support through your membership. We look forward to serving you now and in the years to come. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Clarence Boone, Alumni Relations Officer, at: boonec@indiana.edu or Mike Shumate at mikedshumate@gmail.com

 

If not already a member, please consider joining the IUAA by visiting https://alumni.indiana.edu/membership/index.html, by e-mailingiuaamemb@indiana.edu  or calling (800) 824-3044. By joining the IUAA, among many other things, you help fund the various GLBTAA programs, along with gaining access to IUAA member-only events.

 

If you would like to unsubscribe and terminate future communications from the GLBTAA, please respond to:  glbtaa@indiana.edu.