The state Bees are the second level of the annual National Geographic Bee. The state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic book “The National Parks: An Illustrated History” and a medal, and will journey to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters, May 22-25, 2016. The final round will be moderated for the first time by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca. The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The National Geographic Bee is a program of the National Geographic Society. For more information on the Bee, please visit www.natgeobee.org.

WHO:   100 4^th-8^th grade students, ages 10-14, representing Kentucky

WHEN/WHERE:       

Western Kentucky University at the Knicely Conference Center

2355 Nashville Rd.

Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101

Preliminary rounds: Begin 9:00 am cdt

Final round: Will begin between 10:30-11:00 am cdt

This opening reception and lecture kicks off the 46th Annual WKU Student Research Conference.  All WKU students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited.

4pm: Opening Reception

5pm: Science for all? Diversity in Science in a Global Society

Dr. Sandra L. Hanson, Professor of Sociology at Catholic University

Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society Distinguished Lecturer

The 46th Annual WKU Student Research Conference is the university's annual showcase of student presentations, posters, exhibits, displays, demonstrations, performances, and videos.  The entire community is invited to this free event that occurs throughout the day.

For information, please visit our website.

Delta Zeta presents their first Hike for Hearing benefiting the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Instead of a traditional hike or 5K, the Hike for Hearing will be an Amazing Race filled with fun obstacles across WKU's campus.

Info available on the Delta Zeta Facebook Page.

Our event is on Tuesday, April 5th at 3pm.  Check in begins at 2:15pm at Centennial Mall where the walk will begin at 3:00pm and wrapping up around 4:00pm.  There is a $25.00 registration fee (which gets you your tshirt). ALL  proceeds from this walk will go directly to Hope Harbor, Inc! tje local sexual trauma recovery center!

Tickets: $15 online; $20 at door. Ticket website announced soon. Door prizes & silent auction.

View website for more information.

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Please join us for the

2016 Faculty Awards Reception

Tuesday, April 12

3:00 p.m. 

Faculty House

The University annually recognizes outstanding contributions by faculty members in the areas of Teaching, Research/Creativity, Public Service, Student Advisement.  This year we are introducing a new award recognizing the excellence of Part-Time Instructors.  Below is a list of faculty members who have been selected by each of their respective colleges for recognition this year.  In addition to receiving an award at the college level, these individuals are finalists for the university-wide awardswhich will be announced at Commencement. 

University College

Ms. Julie Shadoan (Professional Studies) - Teaching Award

Dr. Dawn Hall (University Studies) - Research/Creativity Award

Dr. Molly Kerby (Diversity & Community Studies) - Public Service Award

Dr. John Baker (Professional Studies) - Student Advisement Award

Ms. Brandi Button (Diversity & Community Studies) - Part-Time Instructor Award

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Dr. Janet Tassell (Teacher Education) - Teaching Award

Dr. Jie Zhang (Educational Administration, Leadership, and Research) - Research/Creativity Award

Dr. Pamela Jukes (Teacher Education) -Public Service Award

Dr. Gary Houchens (Educational Administration, Leadership, and Research) -Student Advisement Award

Dr. Sharon Blevins (Psychology) -Part-Time Instructor Award

College of Health and Human Services

Dr. Joseph Evans (Allied Health) - Teaching Award

Dr. Darbi Haynes-Lawrence (Family and Consumer Sciences) - Research/Creativity Award

Dr. Patricia Desrosiers (Social Work) - Public Service Award

Dr. April Murphy (Social Work) - Student Advisement Award

Ms. Sandra McClain (Social Work) - Part-Time Instructor Award

Gordon Ford College of Business

Dr. Dennis Wilson (Economics) - Teaching Award

Dr. David Zimmer (Economics) - Research/Creativity Award

Dr. Brian Strow (Economics) - Public Service Award

Dr. LeAnne Coder (Management) - Student Advisement Award

Mr. Aaron Morris (Economics) -  Part-Time Instructor Award

Ogden College of Science and Engineering

Dr. Hope Marchionda (Mathematics) - Teaching Award

Dr. Jarrett Johnson (Biology) - Research/Creativity Award

Dr. Richard Gelderman (Physics and Astronomy) - Public Service Award

Dr. Ajay Srivastava (Biology) - Student Advisement Award

Mr. Lee Ross Dinwiddie (Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences) - Part-Time Instructor Award

Potter College of Arts & Letters

Dr. Audrey Anton (Philosophy and Religion) - Teaching Award

Dr. Timothy Rich (Political Science) - Research/Creativity Award

Dr. Patricia Minter (History) - Public Service Award

Dr. David LeNoir (English) - Student Advisement Award

Ms. Laura Houchens (English) - Part-Time Instructor Award

University Libraries

Ms. Katherine Pennavaria (Library Public Services) - Research/Creativity Award

Ms. Sue Lynn McDaniel (Library Special Collections) - Public Service Award

Part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Join us at the $100 Solution House on Wednesday April 13th for Taco Night!

Schedule of Events
Slide Show (All day; @GRH 1st floor)

3-4pm: Poster Exhibits @ GRH 1st Floor Atrium

3-4pm: Symposium @ GRH 1074 (Large Auditorium)
"Persistence and Academic Success in Higher Education"

4:10-5pm: Guest Presenter @ GRH 1074 (Large Auditorium)
Dr. Brian Meredith (WKU Cheif Enrollement Officer) 

A swipeable event.

$10 Admission at the Door

For more information, email allie.stich@wku.edu.

For more information, email allie.stich@wku.edu.

WKU TRIO Programs has invited senior participants to an event at WKU Wednesday, April 20^th. Students will be bussed to campus and will be participating in workshops with current WKU students and professors and listening to presentations from important campus services, including Housing, Student Activities, and the Academic Advising and Retention Center.

More than 100 students participating in this event, which will take place at Gary Randsell Hall.

For juniors. For more information, email allie.stich@wku.edu.

Earn a Top Life Tier II wellness activity credit!
Where? Cupola Room in Fresh Food Company (room in the back)
When? 12-1 on April 21st. 
Faculty & Staff Nutrition Bingo.
Lauren Tuttles, CHES. Brandi Breden RDN, LD

April 2016 is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Kentucky. Sexual assault is the most under-reported crime in the world. It is an act of violence that silences its victims; forcing them into darkness. By “Breaking the Silence,” we are removing the power of the darkness of sexual assault and focusing “light” onto this subject so that people can talk about it and work together to eliminate it.

We would like to ask you and your group to join us on Thursday, April 21, 2016 for our annual Take Back the Night event. There is an old saying: “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” This is a fun opportunity for the community to march, rally, and take action to prevent sexual violence.

There is no fee for you or your group to participate in the march, but you and each participant in your group do need to read and sign the attached pledge. You can sign a pledge on your own or you can get a group together to march with you, it’s that simple and rewarding!

If you would like some additional information feel free to contact educator2@hopeharbor.net or call 270-782-5014.

Celebrate Earth Day! See all the sustainable initiatives going on near Bowling Green!

Visit http://www.wku.edu/regents for agenda and details.

10th Annual Run for Autism, benefitting Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex at WKU. Event will include a 4 Mile Run, a 1 Mile Fun Walk, and NEW this year a 1 Mile Kids Run.

Click here for more information.

Come enjoy all you can eat pancakes and 2 pieces of sausage for only $5!

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.  – WKU volleyball is set to host its annual spring tournament this weekend as the Lady Toppers will welcome Austin Peay, Murray State and Southern Illinois to E.A. Diddle Arena Saturday afternoon.

Admission is free while all games will be played on the main court in Diddle Arena.

WKU’s first contest of the day is set for 10 a.m. CT against Austin Peay. The Lady Toppers will then meet Southern Illinois at noon CT and will close out the tournament with a 3 p.m. CT match against Murray State.

Schedule

(All Times Central)

10:00 am          WKU vs. Austin Peay                                     
11:00 am          Murray State vs. Southern Illinois                                
12:00pm           WKU vs. Southern Illinois
1:00pm             Austin Peay vs. Murray State
2:00pm             Austin Peay vs. Southern Illinois
3:00pm            WKU vs. Murray State

The tournament wraps up spring practice for the Lady Toppers as WKU returns nine letterwinners from a team that finished 32-4 in 2015 and earned its second consecutive C-USA regular season and tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for just the second time in program history.

How to follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on WKU Volleyball, follow the team on Twitter at @WKUVolleyball and head coach Travis Hudson at @TravisHudsonWKU and Instagram @WKU_Volleyball.

Chi Omega will be hosting a philanthropy event called "Wake Up For Wishes" on April 23rd on South Lawn from 11-1. The event will be a pancake breakfast with all you can eat pancakes for $5 and all proceeds will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant the wish of a child in need. 

WKU Football’s Annual Red and White Game, set for April 23 at 1 p.m., inside Houchens-Smith Stadium. Admission and parking will be free and more details will be announced at a later date.

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Following the annual WKU Red and White Spring Football Game, enjoy an afternoon of brews, tunes, and fun! This 21 and over event – featuring local Kentucky brews – is hosted by the WKU Young Alumni Council. Proceeds of the event will benefit the WKU Young Alumni Council scholarship fund benefitting upperclassman at Western Kentucky University.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Pre-sale ticket purchase: $25
Walk up ticket purchase: $30

Ticket includes:

• 10 4-ounce pours of craft beer
 
• Tailgate food catered by WKU Conference and Catering
• Complimentary sample glass sponsored by White Squirrel Brewery

• Access to brewery representatives 
• Live Music provided by the Jon Crosby Band
 
• Free photo booth

• Access to the WKU Augenstein Alumni Center

Purchase your tickets today! 

Western Kentucky University’s School of Journalism & Broadcasting is pleased to welcome New York Times investigative reporter Nikita Stewart back to her alma mater as the guest lecturer for the 12^th annual John B. Gaines Family Lecture Series. The free event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, April 25, in Mass Media & Technology Hall (MMTH) auditorium on WKU’s campus.

Stewart, previously of the Washington Post and the Louisville Courier-Journal, will address the importance of reporting at the municipal level even in the era in which many of us regularly consume national or international news. Her talk is titled:  “Covering Your City: Why Investigative Reporting is Most Important at the Local Level.”  

“The John B. Gaines Family Lecture Series provides a great opportunity every year to bring an outstanding journalist to the School to interact with students and faculty,” said Loup Langton, director of WKU’s School of Journalism & Broadcasting. “This year, we take great joy in welcoming Nikita Stewart, one of our very successful alums who has raised the bar in local reporting at two of the nation’s premier newspapers.”

Stewart is a reporter for the Metro section of the New York Times, where she covers social services with a focus on New York City Hall and homelessness. Prior to joining the Times, she worked at the Washington Post for more than nine years covering D.C. City Hall and writing for the investigative team. When she left the Washington Post in 2014, Stewart’s editor called her “one of the best beat reporters we’ve ever seen” in a memo to the Post’s staff about her departure, according to Politico.

“Nikita Stewart returns to WKU as an accomplished reporter with a record of writing important stories about the cities and communities she has covered,” said Professor Amanda J. Crawford, who serves as chairwoman of the lecture series committee. “It is a real pleasure to bring back one of our own graduates who has so much knowledge to share with our current students.”

For most of Stewart’s career, she has written about local politics and government, from her days as a young reporter at the Louisville Courier-Journal to years later at the Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey. She is a 1994 graduate of WKU’s journalism program whose first paying job in journalism was at the Bowling Green Daily News.

For more information on the John B. Gaines Family Lecture Series, contact the WKU School of Journalism & Broadcasting at (270) 745-4144.

The last in our Entrepreneur Speaker Series for this semester, we showcase our entrepreneurial students. Come hear about what WKU's entrepreneurial students have been working on this year!

For more information, visit http://www.wku.edu/cei/ or email entrepreneurship@wku.edu.

The WKU Marketing Council is an internal network of WKU employees who have marketing responsibility in their particular college, division, or department. The Council meets quarterly to discuss communications principles, best practices, trends and opportunities and also communicates via listserv.

#WorldFest 4:00-8:00 PM (DSU 1st Floor):

Stop by one of the student-led booths to explore cultures from around the world, purchase exotic goods and get a henna tattoo!

Cultural Showcase @ 7:00 PM (DSU auditorium):

Come watch exciting, beautiful, and entertaining performances from various international students and organizations. Be one of the first 50 students at this SWIPABLE event and receive a FREE Fresh Food Co. pass!

#RockTheBlock @ 8:00-10:00 PM (HCIC back lawn):

Nashville's Party Authority will be on the scene to DJ a mix of the hottest international and American music. Wear your dancin' shoes! Or no shoes at all... we don't care. Just come ready for some fun!

Part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Nashville's Party Authority will be on the scene to DJ a mix of the hottest international and American music. Wear your dancin' shoes! Or no shoes at all... we don't care. Just come ready for some fun!

Info at westernkentuckyfilmfestival.com

Info at westernkentuckyfilmfestival.com

Click here for more information.

For more information, email travis.hardin@wku.edu.

Info at westernkentuckyfilmfestival.com

WKU TRIO Programs will host an event for approximately 90 GEAR UP (GRADE 11) participants and their parents from three southcentral counties (HART, METCALFE, and MONROE).   Participants will be bussed to campus and participate in workshops with TRIO staff, WKU employees, and WKU Students, and organizations. In addition, a WKU info Fair will be held.  The event will take place at the International/Honors building. The event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am and conclude at 2:00pm.  Participants are schedule to dine at WKU fresh food at approximately 12:45-2:00.