For many, summertime brings to mind warm weather, a break from hectic schedules, and time spent outdoors with family and friends. Here in Indiana, we certainly welcome the longer days and warm temperatures after the many cold winter (and spring!) months that have come before. And while we certainly take time at Indiana Tech to re-charge and renew our energy in the service of our students, it’s also true that higher education has become a year-round endeavor. Students learning with us online and in the evenings began their first class sessions of the year in mid-July, while students attending our main campus in Fort Wayne are returning now, with classes starting August 19.

In this, our second digital edition of Indiana Tech magazine, you’ll find news and features showing the year-round activity of our bustling university. This includes a look at what is always our best day of the year—commencement day. Over 1,300 students earned their degrees from Indiana Tech during the 2018-19 academic year, with 902 of them joining us in person May 11 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum for our 2019 commencement ceremonies. Read more about the day, view a video re-cap, see a photo album, and watch a special video presentation from 2019 graduate Xavier Williams, titled “The Way of a Warrior,” in our annual commencement feature section.

Looking ahead, 2019-20 will also serve as the 10-year anniversary of Indiana Tech’s Ph.D. in Global Leadership program. All of us associated with Tech are rightly proud of a program that has helped students from around the globe earn a distinguished degree that prepares them for leadership roles at universities, corporations, and non-profits across the world. Dr. Angie Fincannon, director of the Ph.D. program, shares her thoughts on its past, present and future in the “A Few Words With…” feature in this issue.

Many Indiana Tech alumni have shared stories of their time at Tech (and beyond) over these first two years of my time as president. I’ve heard about how they came to choose Indiana Tech for their education, how they encountered challenges and opportunities, and how they received support and encouragement from others in the Tech community along the way. Welcoming and supporting today’s Indiana Tech students and families is the mission of the Warrior Family Association, established in August 2018. Learn more about the Warrior Family Association and its plans for the future, and learn how you can subscribe to its monthly e-newsletter in our WFA feature story.

To learn more about the accomplishments of our students and happenings around the university, be sure to check out this issue’s Tech Happenings section. Here you’ll find information on our 2019 honorees in the Career Center’s RISE awards recognizing Indiana Tech interns and employer partners, learn about Indiana Tech academic programs being recognized among the nation’s best, read about our main campus welcoming hundreds of elite athletes from around the world as part of the IBSA Goalball and Judo International qualifier, and more.

Hard as it may be to believe, two of our signature annual alumni events will soon be upon us as well—join us in Fort Wayne on Sunday, Sept. 15, for the 30th annual TWIST golf outing benefiting student scholarships and athletics here at Tech. Come meet old friends and make new memories at Homecoming 2019, too. This year’s homecoming celebration will take place October 3-6. Visit the Homecoming 2019 page on our website to learn about all the fun events we have planned for the weekend.

Warm regards,

Karl W. Einolf, Ph.D.
President