In the fall of 2018, Dilnaz and Qaiser Waraich were pleased with their son’s choice to attend Butler University. He was beginning his junior year and had already made lifelong friends and built strong relationships with his professors. Driven by their Muslim faith, the Waraichs began having conversations about where their family values of giving back and promoting a greater understanding of Islam might intersect on Butler’s campus. The Waraichs viewed the authentic, lasting relationships that happen within Butler’s close-knit community as an opportunity to foster meaningful dialogue between students, faculty, staff, and the greater community.

After conversations as a family and with faculty and leadership at Butler, the family established the Muslim Studies Endowed Fund in October 2018 with the goal of supporting programming that advances understanding, mutual esteem, and cooperation for education and awareness about the Muslim faith.

“We’re way past tolerance; I don’t think we should be using that word anymore,” Dilnaz Waraich says. “There is such a misconception about Muslims in America, and we’re at the point where we really need to develop relationships. The only way you can get to those relationships is by having conversations.”

In an effort to promote more conversation, the family’s first goal for the fund was to support programming that would raise awareness about Islam at Butler and allow members of the Butler community to have exposure to Muslims from diverse walks of life. Earlier this year, the family made an additional significant gift to expand the scope of the endowment’s impact in the Butler community through support for student internships with Muslim organizations and for faculty research on Islam.

Broadening perspectives

“The first thing this endowment really allowed was the regular presence of high-profile Muslim speakers on our campus, which is so important to broadening perspectives and allowing for diverse voices to be heard,” says Dr. Chad Bauman, Professor of Religion in the Department of Philosophy, Religion, and Classics, where the endowed fund is housed.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, the Muslim Studies Endowed Fund brought three Muslim-American speakers to campus for lectures and dialogue through partnerships with the Center for Faith and Vocation, the Global and Historical Studies program, and other departments across campus. The series kicked off in October with a performance by Omar Offendum, a Los Angeles-based rapper, poet, and activist, which filled Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall and required the use of an overflow room. Along with his performance, Offendum also visited a number of classes for more in-depth dialogue and was available for one-on-one conversations during a drop-in session that was open to the Butler community.

“Many of our students don’t have a lot of exposure to Muslims and to the Islamic tradition, and the knowledge that they do have about the religion or the people is really filtered to them through the media,” says Dr. Nermeen Mouftah, an Assistant Professor of Religion and the Religion program’s specialist on Islam. “We’re trying to add complexity with programming that’s going to deal with politics, art, culture. We really want the programming to be across the spectrum so you can see all those different facets of Muslim life.”

In November, Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans, Scholar-in-Residence at the American Learning Institute for Muslims, gave a well-attended lecture titled “Islam and our Current Cultural Moment.” In March, journalist Leila Fadel held a conversation about reporting on Muslims in the American media. Now a national correspondent for National Public Radio’s race, identity, and culture beat, Fadel previously served as an international correspondent based in Cairo during the wave of revolts in the Middle East.

“I have just been truly blown away by the impact of the programming,” Mouftah says. “I’ve asked students who have attended to write short reflections after the events, and their reflections have been so poignant. It seems pretty clear that, for most of the students who are attending, these viewpoints and experiences they are hearing from these speakers are revelatory. They are turning over ideas that the students had and giving them new ideas. We’re simply bringing in these speakers who are experts in their fields, and it is raising the level of dialogue about Muslims in America.”

A culture of understanding

This year, the additional commitment to the endowment to expand the use of the fund to include support for faculty conducting research on Islam. Butler faculty members in any department who are carrying out research projects centering on Islam, interfaith dialogue, or religious pluralism will be able to apply for course development and research grants supported by the fund.

“It’s really important for faculty to have the support they need to do the research they are doing,” Dilnaz Waraich says. “Academia is run on research, so if we as a family can support faculty to go to seminars and dig deep into a certain topic and then come back and share what they’ve learned with other faculty members, that is very important.  We want to make sure it is taught from a perspective of religious pluralism; it’s about learning about various faiths and how many commonalities they have about them instead of just highlighting the differences.”

Waraich says it was important to the family that the research and course development support be available to faculty from any department so that faculty will share what they are learning with each other across disciplines, ultimately promoting a culture of greater understanding of Islam throughout campus. Bauman says these faculty development funds also have the long-lasting effect of helping to inspire and retain Butler’s excellent faculty.

“The ability to support our faculty and encourage their work in research and teaching not only allows us to attract the top minds in our fields to Butler, but it encourages these faculty that Butler is a worthwhile place to stay, which has an enduring effect on the culture at Butler and on our students,” Bauman says.

Hands-on experience

Also new this academic year, the Waraichs’ latest gift will provide support for students pursuing internships with Muslim organizations such the Muslim Alliance of Indiana. Several funds currently exist within the Center for Faith and Vocation to support students pursuing internships with various faith-based organizations, but this is the first fund at Butler to provide support for internships specific to the Muslim faith.

“The Waraich family has a very coherent vision to promote greater understanding of Islam, which directs their energy and their philanthropic investment,” Bauman says. “We are very grateful that Butler is part of that vision.”

Though their son has now graduated from Butler, the Waraichs say they are grateful to have had the opportunity to get involved and contribute as parents while their child was on campus, and are inspired to think about the long-term impacts of their gift beyond their son’s experience.

“To be in the position to give is such a privilege, and it’s something we take very seriously,” Dilnaz Waraich says. “If other parents see where their family values meet what Butler is doing, I think higher ed is really an exciting place to be because you have young adults who are not only future leaders, but they are present-day leaders. The impact is both immediate and enduring.”

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
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kgrieze@butler.edu
260-307-3403

Butler University donors demonstrated unwavering support to Butler students this year, giving more than $16.6 million toward scholarships and other student support initiatives during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, which concluded on May 31. In total, 15,385 Butler donors gave $28.5 million to Butler Beyond, the University’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, boosting the total raised to date to $184.9 million toward the $250 million campaign goal. Along with generous giving, Butler experienced a year of great momentum in a number of important ways, including the unveiling of its new strategic direction.

As the University neared the completion of its Butler 2020 strategic plan, President Jim Danko and other University leaders kicked off the academic year with a summer tour of alumni communities around the country, sharing a vision for Butler’s future centered on the need to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing landscape in higher education. More than 220 alumni and guests attended the small summer gatherings in 12 cities for a preview of the University’s new strategic direction.

On October 5, Butler welcomed more than 1,200 alumni and friends for an evening to remember at Clowes Memorial Hall as the University unveiled the new Butler Beyond strategic direction and $250 million comprehensive fundraising campaign. With an emphasis on innovation and collaborative partnerships, the new strategic direction builds upon Butler’s strengths in delivering an exceptional undergraduate residential education, while expanding to offer opportunities for lifelong learning and new educational pathways that are more affordable and flexible. The Butler Beyond campaign is organized around three pillars aimed to fuel this new strategic direction: student access and success, innovations in teaching and learning, and community partnerships.

While the new strategic direction was developed in anticipation of disruption coming to the higher education landscape over the next decade, that disruption occurred more quickly than predicted when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the University to move all classes online for the remainder of the academic year in March. Though the disruption caused by the health crisis was unexpected, it revealed the wisdom of the University’s strategy to diversify its offerings and prepare for a changing student demographic. Donor support allowed Butler to respond quickly to the year’s disruptions and remain in a strong position moving forward.

Looking ahead, one of the major funding priorities of the campaign is the expansion and renovation of the University’s sciences facilities following the Board of Trustees’ approval of the $100 million project last June. Students, faculty, staff, and donors gathered on campus to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the project in October, and a $1.5 million gift from the Hershel B. & Ethel L. Whitney Fund this year pushed the University to more than $29 million raised to date toward the University’s $42 million fundraising goal for the project.

Mayor Joe Hogsett MA ’87 and other alumni and city leaders visited campus on October 25 for the official dedication of the new 110,000-square-foot building for the Andre B. Lacy School of Business, which opened for classes last summer and was funded in large part by more than $22 million in donor gifts. Autumn also brought the public reveal of the latest round of renovations to Hinkle Fieldhouse, which included the installation of air conditioning and a complete renovation of the Efroymson Family Gym. The $10.5 million project was entirely funded through donor gifts, including a major gift to name the practice court in honor of beloved Butler graduate Matt White.

This fiscal year donors also committed more than $114,000 to the Butler Emergency Assistance Fund, which provides one-time financial support to Butler students facing unforeseen hardships, including some related to the COVID-19 crisis. The influx of support for the fund is expected to be sufficient to fulfill student needs for the next several years.

Donors wishing to provide ongoing support to Butler students beyond the immediate crisis are now directing their gifts to the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship after the University committed an additional $10 million in financial aid for incoming and current students in response to the unforeseen economic hardships caused by the pandemic. Donors gave more than $1.5 million to the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship during the fiscal year, which will help the University to fulfill its increased financial commitment to students. Thanks to generous donor support of scholarships during this fiscal year, the University has now raised more than $44 million toward its campaign goal of $55 million in scholarship support.

Continuing their extensive generosity throughout the Butler Beyond campaign, several of Butler’s Trustees also made significant gifts this year, including gifts to the Sciences project, new endowed scholarships, and a broad range of other initiatives across campus.

The University’s annual Day of Giving in February was the most successful in school history, setting a number of records including:

• A University record of $482,725 raised, a 55 percent increase from the previous year
• A University record of 1,569 gifts received, a 23 percent increase from the previous year

Other University milestones in the 2019-20 fiscal year included:

• The October announcement by the Board of Trustees of the extension of President Danko’s contract through August 2024
• 31 donors reached lifetime cumulative giving to Butler University of $100,000 or more, qualifying for the Carillon Society
• 546 full-time faculty/staff members made a gift, representing more than 50 percent of full-time Butler employees
• Fairview Heritage Society donors committed more than $15 million in estate/planned gifts this year
• 1,846 new donors made a first-time gift to the University

Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University is the University’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign with a goal of $250 million to support student access and success, innovations in teaching and learning, and community partnerships.

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
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kgrieze@butler.edu 
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INDIANAPOLIS—The Hershel B. & Ethel L. Whitney Fund of The Indianapolis Foundation recently gave $1.5 million to Butler University in support of its $100 million Sciences Expansion and Renovation project, among the largest gifts received to date for the effort. In recognition of the gift, the University will name the Hershel B. Whitney Gateway in Gallahue Hall in honor of the late Hershel B. Whitney, who was a longtime Indianapolis resident and chemist at Eli Lilly. The gift pushes Butler beyond $29 million raised thus far toward the University’s $42 million fundraising goal for the effort.

The Sciences Expansion and Renovation Project is the largest infrastructure investment in University history and is a key funding priority of the Butler Beyond comprehensive fundraising campaign. The initiative is an early step in Butler’s new strategic direction, centered on expanding the University’s impact beyond its current students and beyond the borders of campus by serving the needs of the broader Central Indiana community, particularly in the area of workforce development. With the help of state-of-the-art sciences facilities and nationally recognized faculty, Butler seeks to play a major role in attracting and developing new talent for the region’s booming life sciences industry.

Indiana is one of the top five states in the country for the number of companies, concentration of companies, and total number of life sciences industry jobs. Meanwhile, Butler has seen a 70 percent increase in enrollment in science disciplines over the past decade, graduating students who choose to stay in Indiana to begin their careers. About 60 percent of Butler undergraduate students come from outside the state, and among science graduates, 63 percent stay in state, contributing to a brain gain effect for the state of Indiana.

“We are proud to contribute to the development of our community by attracting and developing outstanding talent for the science and life science sectors of Central Indiana’s economy, and we are grateful for the donors who see the long-term value of this investment not only for our students but also for our region,” says Jay Howard, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “The renovation and expansion of our sciences complex will ensure that Butler University continues to prepare the talent Indiana needs for a thriving workforce.”

The COVID-19 global health crisis has recently shed light on the importance of a workforce skilled in the areas of research, data analysis, and scientific inquiry. Current and former Butler students are working on the frontlines of the nation’s pandemic response working in hospitals, making hand sanitizer, creating images for the National Institutes of Health, analyzing health data at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more.

Previous lead philanthropic gifts already received for the Sciences Expansion and Renovation Project include $13 million from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, $5 million from Frank ’71 and Kristin Levinson, and other major contributions from Former Trustee Billie Lou ’51 and Richard D. Wood, Trustee Chair Emeritus Craig Fenneman ’71 and Mary Stover-Fenneman, Trustee Lynne Zydowsky ’81, Former Trustee Joshua Smiley, and the estate of Bud ’44 and Jackie ’44 Sellick.

Donors who have invested $500,000 or more in the project will be honored on a prominent wall in the stunning new atrium of the expansion building connecting Gallahue Hall to the Holcomb Building. The expansion will add nearly 44,000 square feet of new space for teaching, research, collaboration, and study, plus the 13,140 square-foot atrium.

The Hershel B. Whitney Gateway will include seven research labs, five teaching labs, and research/teaching preparation spaces on the second floor of Gallahue Hall, where chemistry and biochemistry students will engage in cross-disciplinary learning. The Hershel B. and Ethel L. Whitney Fund also previously established the Hershel B. Whitney Chair in Biochemistry, which is currently held by Associate Professor Jeremy Johnson. Johnson’s work conducting research alongside undergraduate students will now take place in the Whitney Gateway, linking the Fund’s previous faculty and programmatic support to the physical spaces where teaching and learning will occur.

In addition to the Whitney Fund’s investment in the new sciences complex, the Fund also made a $100,000 donation to the Jordan College of the Arts’ Performance Enhancement Fund to support the JCA Signature Series, a high-impact artist residency program. The series provides enriching community programming along with workshops and lectures for Butler students.

“At its core, the JCA Signature Series is a student-centric residency program, with an embedded public-facing community component,” says Lisa Brooks, Dean of the Jordan College of the Arts. “The generous gift from the Whitney Fund will help to ensure that this critical artistic intersection will continue to inspire and educate students and audiences alike.”

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
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kgrieze@butler.edu
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Innovations in Teaching and Learning

One of the distinguishing features of a Butler education has always been the meaningful and enduring relationships between our faculty and students. Gifts to this pillar during Butler Beyond will accelerate our commitment to investing in faculty excellence by adding endowed positions, supporting faculty scholarship and research, renovating and expanding state-of-the-art teaching facilities, and more. Learn more, make a gift, and read other stories like this one at beyond.butler.edu.

At 23 years old, Brittany Smith ’11 received an offer to work remotely as a community manager for Yelp.

Well, I guess this means I’ll need to get a smartphone, she thought.

It was the spring of 2012, and Smith had just wrapped up the first year of her post-grad career on the communications team at Downtown Indy, Inc., where she helped promote Indianapolis as a leisure destination. It was a dream role she had worked toward even as a student at Butler University, where she completed an internship with the organization that opened doors for a full-time position.

And she loved it. But the chance to serve Indy in a new way, and to help pave the way for the emerging field of community management, was an opportunity she couldn’t turn down.

It was a role that, even today, a lot of people probably don’t know exists. Yelp does a lot more than provide a platform for restaurant reviews. Smith spent her days elevating the city she loved by providing free partnerships with local businesses, hosting and promoting events, and being an advocate for Indy. She was the one to spread the word if a bakery added a new kind of croissant, and she told the stories of local parks and other greenspaces. She loved connecting people with their city.

Eight years later, she’s now Yelp’s Regional Director of Marketing and Community for the Midwest. While her current responsibilities expand beyond the city—and even beyond the state—her heart is still in Indy.

It was that love for Indianapolis that first brought Smith to Butler, where she majored in English and Communications. She knew she wanted to pursue something related to tourism or community building, and she knew Butler would give her the chance to engage with the city and gain hands-on experience through internships. She followed through with that goal, completing internships not only with Downtown Indy, but also with Indiana Humanities and Indianapolis Monthly.

“The beauty of Butler is that it’s so well-connected to Indianapolis, which made it an ideal location for me,” she says. “I feel like half my education was in the classroom, but the other half was through boots-on-the-ground, first-hand experiences.”

As a student, Smith was also involved with the Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability, helping launch The Farm at Butler. Through Yelp, she’s now built partnerships with some of the same local businesses that had purchased the farm-grown food she helped raise.

During her time with Yelp, Smith has discovered a passion for activating public spaces—turning Monument Circle into a pop-up dinner party for 1,000 guests, or organizing an inner tube float down the Central Canal.

“I like to help people see their city through a new perspective,” she says.

Of course, in the world of COVID-19, that sort of thing isn’t always possible. Her team has shifted to organizing a slew of virtual events, ranging from a Cinco de Mayo celebration with Sun King Brewery, to a lunchtime barre class with The Dailey Method, to an online chocolate tasting with Xchocol'Art. Over the last few weeks, they’ve also been using their platform to highlight the stories of Black-owned businesses. That adaptability has been one of her favorite parts about working at a place like Yelp. And, it’s a quality she attributes to her city as a whole.

“I love the way the Indianapolis community comes together when there’s an idea,” she says. “We find ways to cut down red tape and move quickly to action, working from a collaborative mindset.”

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Indy is full of Dawgs.

“It’s cool to think about how many Butler alumni really dig into the city and make a difference,” Smith says. “They are very present and active in the community. It’s not a huge school, but it’s not hard to find a Bulldog in Indy.”

A few of Brittany Smith’s favorite Indy spots:

• Locally Grown Gardens (especially the sugar cream pie): “That’s where I met my husband, and where I held my first Yelp event. I have so many special memories there.”
• Calvin Fletcher's Coffee Company: “There’s so much heart there. Everyone feels very welcomed and invited. It’s just as much about the community as it is about the coffee.”
• Eagle Creek Park: “I love to explore different parks. Our city has so many green spaces, and I love to take advantage of those.”

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
News Content Manager
kgrieze@butler.edu
260-307-3403 (cell)

Hilary Buttrick, who has served as an Associate Dean in Butler University’s Lacy School of Business (LSB) since January 2020, has been named the School’s Interim Dean, Provost Kate Morris announced today.

During her nearly eight years with Butler, Buttrick has demonstrated her commitment to students as Assistant, and then Associate Professor of Business Law. She also served as the Chair of the Department of Economics, Law, and Finance from June 2017 through June 2019, and as an Interim Associate Dean from July 2019 through December 2019. Buttrick teaches courses in Business Law and Business Ethics, drawing on her decade of experience as a practicing attorney to provide concrete examples for her students. She has also been responsible for leading and moderating the Lacy School of Business Ethics Series and podcast channel.

As Associate Dean in the LSB, Buttrick worked with faculty to develop a revised faculty governance structure, led college-wide faculty development programming, and contributed to LSB’s accreditation efforts. She also served on the LSB Strategic Planning Committee, President Danko’s Faculty Advisory Group, LSB’s Undergraduate Assurance of Learning Committee, and LSB’s Undergraduate Business Analytics Curricular Innovation Task Force. In the Indianapolis community, she is a member of the Board of Directors of Tindley Accelerated Schools.

“Hilary’s time as an Associate Dean has prepared her to lead LSB through an important transitional period,” Provost Morris says. “She has been an excellent advocate for our students and faculty, for LSB, and for Butler. I look forward to seeing all she is able to accomplish as she steps into the role of Interim Dean.”

Buttrick earned her bachelor’s degree from DePauw University in 1999 and completed her Juris Doctor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2002.

“I am honored to serve the LSB in this interim capacity,” Buttrick says. “ During my time at Butler, it has been a daily privilege to work with our students, faculty, and staff.  I look forward to continuing these relationships as we explore new ways to partner with the business community to deliver a world-class business education.”

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
News Content Manager
kgrieze@butler.edu
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INDIANAPOLIS—Butler University today announced the appointment of seven new members to its Board of Trustees.

Tonya L. Combs, Joseph G. Eaton ’88, Michael K. Hole ’08, DuJuan McCoy ’89, Mark D. Minner ’12, Kathy Martin Harrison ’79, and Rob McConnell ’78 joined the 34-member Board, effective June 4.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome so many outstanding members to our Board,” Chairman Keith Faller says. “They bring an extremely valuable mix of talent, experience, and enthusiasm to help guide Butler forward as we continue to implement the University’s mission and strategic plan.”

In addition to welcoming new members, the board celebrated the service of four outgoing trustees: Jim Dickson ’95, Nick Musial ’02, Josh Smiley, and Alex Anglin ’10. They also remembered board member Kevin Morris ’95, who passed away in November 2019.

“We are grateful for the years of service and generosity these individuals dedicated to Butler University,” President James Danko said. “Their leadership has been tremendously valuable to our community in establishing Butler as an innovative leader in higher education.”

As of the June meeting, Keith Faller ’71 replaced Jatinder-Bir “Jay” Sandhu ’87 as Chair of the Board of Trustees (though Sandhu will continue to serve on the Board). Tracy Stevens became Vice Chair of the Board. Gary Aletto will continue serving as Treasurer, and Kathryn Betley will continue as Secretary.

The board bestowed the title of Trustee Emeritus upon two former board members, Dennis Bassett MBA ’79 and John Cooke ’62, in consideration of their exceptional service to the University.

More about the new Board members:

Tonya L. Combs serves as Vice President and Deputy General Patent Counsel at Eli Lilly and Company, where she advises senior leaders on intellectual property strategy. She also leads a group of experienced patent attorneys. Combs earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2001, and a juris doctor degree summa cum laude from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2006. She is an active member of the American Intellectual Property Association, who named her a Woman to Watch in January 2019. Combs is also an active member of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, where she currently serves as the co-chair of the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Issues Committee. She currently serves on the board of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and is a member of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Board of Trustees.

Joseph G. Eaton is a Partner in the Litigation Department at Barnes & Thornburg LLP and Co-Chair of the firm’s Toxic Tort Practice Group. He has represented clients throughout the U.S. in chemical exposure product liability and commercial litigation matters. Eaton earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Butler in 1988. He served as President of the Sigma Nu fraternity and was a member of the Butler football team. He earned a juris doctor degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1991. Eaton was named to the Butler “50 Under 50” list and previously served on the Butler Alumni Association Board of Directors. He and his wife, Florie Theofanis Eaton ’88, received the Mortar Award from the Butler Alumni Association in 2019. Eaton previously served on the boards of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation and Advisory Council, the Fishers-HSE Youth Football Board, and TigerONE. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Youth Mentoring Initiative and Launch Fishers.

Michael Hole is a physician, professor, author, and entrepreneur at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a “street doctor” for children experiencing homelessness and founding director at Financial Health Studios, a university hub for health systems innovation. Hole has started four organizations: StreetCred, a national nonprofit helping low-income families file taxes at medical clinics; Early Bird, a scholarship fund for babies born into poverty; Good Apple, a grocery delivery company fighting child hunger; and Main Street Relief, a nationwide corps helping small businesses navigate economic crises. He has led campaigns that helped fund a new elementary school in Uganda, an orphanage in post-earthquake Haiti, and a new food product tackling malnutrition in developing countries. Hole was Butler’s top male student in 2008 before earning his M.D. and MBA from Stanford University and completing residency at Harvard University. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed and lay media publications. In 2016, Forbes placed him on America’s “30 under 30” list. In 2019, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush named Hole a Presidential Leadership Scholar.

DuJuan McCoy is Owner, President, and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting, LLC, a company he formed in May 2019 to purchase both the WISH-8 and WNDY-23 television stations from Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. Along with this acquisition, McCoy agreed to sell the television stations of his former company, Bayou City Broadcasting, to Allen Media Broadcasting. Founded in 2007, Bayou City Broadcasting was the only African-American-owned company to own and manage a Big-4 affiliate in the U.S. McCoy is now the only African American in the U.S. to own a major local news station (WISH TV) in a major market. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1989 from Butler, where he also ran track. McCoy completed the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcast Leadership Program in 2008. He is now a member of the NAB and is a Director of the NAB Television Board, the NAB Education Foundation, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the Broadcasters Foundation of America, and the National Urban League. He was recognized at the Indy Black Expo as Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019.

Mark Minner serves as President & Chief Strategy Officer for the Indianapolis-based consulting firm FirstPerson. He is also a co-founder and partner of The Performance Lab, which works with leaders to build and develop high-performing organizations. Since 2013, Minner has served as the play-by-play “Voice of the Butler Bulldogs” for men’s basketball broadcasts on the PNC Butler Radio Network. He has called other sporting events for Fox Sports and the Big East Digital Network, as well as NCAA championships for Turner Sports. Minner is a 2012 graduate of Butler, with dual degrees in both Marketing and Electronic Journalism. In 2019, Minner was named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list. In 2016, he was awarded Employee Benefit Advisors’ “Rising Star in Advising” honor. In the community, Minner is an active member of the Penrod Society, has served on the executive committee for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Light the Night” event, serves on the board of Hillcrest Country Club, and is one of the founding board members of the non-profit organization Stay Positive.

Kathy Martin Harrison is the owner and CEO of the Ed Martin Automotive Group, founded by her father in 1955. According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, the company is the largest Indianapolis-area woman-owned business. Previously, Martin Harrison owned Martin Realty and KAH Designs. She attended Indiana University and Franklin College before transferring to Butler and earning a bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 1979. She is a member of Butler’s Board of Visitors and the LAS Dean’s Advisory Council. She is the Founder and past President of the Indy SurviveOars dragon boat racing team for breast cancer survivors. Martin Harrison was on the founding board of directors for the Ryan White Foundation in 1990. She was also on the founding committee who brought the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to Indianpaolis in 1991. She has served on many community boards, including for the Junior League of Indianapolis, Indiana Sports Corporation, YWCA, Lawrence Township School Foundation, and the John Stewart Foundation.

Rob McConnell is CEO of Indycoast Partners, an independent sponsor and consulting firm in Mergers & Acquisitions. Before Indycoast, he was CEO of Telecorps Holdings, Inc., parent of Wexler Video, Coffey Sound, and Telecorps Sales and Leasing. Prior to that, he was COO of Encoda Systems, following his time as President and CEO of Enterprise Systems Group, Inc., a predecessor to Encoda. He was involved in taking the company public, leading a going-private transaction, merging with an industry competitor, and completing several bank financings. He has also worked in the radio and TV broadcasting industry in various managerial, sales, and talent capacities. He has served as an expert witness in litigation in both state and federal courts in the areas of media, media technology, and misappropriation of trade secrets. McConnell is currently President of the Butler University Alumni Association.

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
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“I have always known that I wanted to be active in a position where I could serve people,” says Kelsey Coy ’13.

Coy has dedicated her life to serving the public good. When starting her Butler University career as a Secondary Education major, she never dreamed of becoming a social epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—or of serving on an international task force during a global pandemic.

In her current role as an epidemiologist of Maternal Health with the CDC, Coy typically focuses on studying substance use and mental health before, during, and after pregnancy.  She recently published a paper on the prevalence of postpartum depression. She has also served on the emergency response for the lung injury epidemic associated with e-cigarette or vaping product use. That is, until she was deployed to the international task force for the CDC’s COVID-19 emergency response.

Now, Coy is studying the ways stay-at-home orders and other mitigation measures impact case counts. Using data from countries all over the world, she and her colleagues are able to provide insight into the unique ways this epidemic has impacted specific countries or general regions. Their work provides decision-makers with the information they need to fight the pandemic. Instead of working in the Emergency Operations Center at the CDC, Coy and her colleagues are working long hours at home, keeping up with the constantly changing data.

“The one thing I really want people to know is to check the CDC website and to trust that we are doing the best we can to keep the public safe,” she says. “There is no partisanship in the messaging. We work from the data, so the information we release is based on the data we have as we go. As data changes, and as our knowledge expands, our advice might change. But for now, it’s pretty simple: Wear your mask, wash your hands, and stay at home if you can. And be patient. Science points that this pandemic isn’t going to be the quickest thing.”

Drawn to The Butler Way

During her senior year of high school, Coy and her mother were driving home to Bloomington, Indiana, from a speech and debate competition. Even though she had applied to Butler, Coy had not yet visited the campus, so they decided to make a pit stop. It was the middle of winter break, and not many people were around as they roamed the sidewalks, but a student walked up and asked if Coy was thinking about coming to the University.

It turned out the student was a tour guide, and she offered to show Coy around. Coy remembers feeling a unique sense of kindness on Butler’s campus—what students refer to as The Butler Way—that was unlike any other campus she had visited. She also felt that Butler really cared about her and what she had to offer.

Coy discovered the field of epidemiology after reading Mountains Beyond Mountains, a biography about physician Paul Farmer’s work fighting tuberculosis, in her first-year seminar class.

“When I first learned what epidemiology was, it honestly felt like I had found my home,” Coy says. So, she changed her major to Biology and started finding opportunities to work on epidemiology research.

After graduating in 2013, Coy joined the Peace Corps and served for three years in Swaziland, now called the Kingdom of Eswatini. She didn’t want to attend graduate school right away, but she knew she wanted public health experience, as well as the opportunity to live abroad.

Upon returning to the United States, Coy attended the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in hopes of eventually working for the CDC. Lucky for Coy, during her second year of graduate school, she landed a global health internship with the organization.

Coy says her liberal arts education from Butler has been extremely valuable to her current position, as she thinks critically about the health data she approaches each day. For instance, the CDC has recently discovered that people of color are more likely to die from COVID-19. Coy is studying the social factors that drive this trend, thinking about the impacts of structural racism to better understand why this is happening.

“Butler set me up very, very well to start to question some of the things in our world,” Coy says.

Note: The statements made in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
News Content Manager
kgrieze@butler.edu
260-307-3403

When the Butler University Jazz Ensemble was recording its entries for the DownBeat Student Music Awards last year, it was the first time David Richards had ever played in a studio. Now a rising junior in Jazz Studies, the bassist says recording sessions demand an even higher level of musicianship than some other performances—you want to really get it right.

That focus must have worked. Butler was recently named the undergraduate winner of DownBeat’s Large Ensemble category.

“DownBeat is the jazz magazine,” Richards says. “To even be nominated for anything in DownBeat is a treat. So, to hear that we won was an extremely cool experience.”

Schools from all over the country submit recordings for these awards, says Matt Pivec, Director of Jazz Studies at Butler. This is the first time any Butler ensemble has won.

“We are so proud of these students, their professionalism, and their ability to work together toward a common goal,” Pivec says. “They’re receiving incredible guidance and instruction from our School of Music faculty. We had some students who really stepped up in their roles as soloists, and solos are such an important part of what we do. Outstanding individual performances really boost the collective performance.”

Richards says that team-focused attitude is a key aspect of the jazz program at Butler.

“There isn’t this constant competition between students that you sometimes see,” he explains. “It’s not about figuring out who the best musician is. At Butler, we all want to get better together.”

Butler Jazz Ensemble Members:

Saxophones
Zachary Weiler (Split Lead)
James Howard (Split Lead)
Xavier Robertson (Tenor 1)
Noah Holloway (Tenor 2)
Alex Sparks (Baritone)

Trumpets
Drew Soukup
Kent Hickey
Ari Badr
Tom Pieciak

Trombones
Alec Fenne
Joe Weddle
Max Brown
Noah Zahrn (Bass)

Rhythm
Ethan Veliky (Guitar)
Eric Garcia (Guitar)
Isaac Beaumont (Bass)
David Richards (Bass)
Caleb Meadows (Piano)
Ben Urschel (Drums/Vibes)
Jonathan Padgett (Drums/Vibes)

Photo: Butler University Jazz Ensemble with guest artist Stefon Harris

Chair of the Butler Board of Trustees Jatinder-Bir “Jay” Sandhu ‘87 and his wife Roop recently donated $250,000 to Butler University to establish the Chain S. Sandhu Scholarship for students studying Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Andre B. Lacy School of Business. The endowed scholarship honors the legacy and leadership of Jay’s father Chain S. Sandhu, a successful entrepreneur and community leader who recently passed away after bravely battling cancer. Scholarships are a top funding priority of the Butler Beyond comprehensive fundraising campaign and have become even more critical due to the global COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted the financial circumstances of many current and incoming Butler students.

“Roop and I are so grateful to have the opportunity to honor my father’s legacy through a scholarship that will help deserving students to earn a Butler degree,” Sandhu says. “My father has had a profound impact on many lives as a boss, mentor, and friend, and he has always sought to open doors of opportunity for others. I can think of no better way to honor his extraordinary life than to offer the gift of a Butler education, which will surely open many doors of opportunity for future generations.”

Chain Sandhu emigrated from India in 1969 and purchased NYX, Inc., an automotive supplier in Livonia, Michigan, in 1989. Under Chain’s leadership, NYX grew from 30 employees and $2 million in sales to 4,200 employees in five countries and nearly $700 million in sales, becoming one of Michigan’s largest minority-owned companies. The Chain S. Sandhu Scholarship will be awarded to students with financial need with preference for recipients of the Dr. John Morton-Finney Leadership Award or the 21st Century Scholarship. In 2018, Jay and Roop Sandhu also donated $1 million to Butler University to support construction of the new building for the Lacy School of Business, naming the building’s stunning rooftop garden in honor of Chain.

“The Sandhu family exemplifies the highest values of Butler University. We are honored to celebrate Chain Sandhu’s legacy through the newly-established endowed scholarship, as well as the Chain S. Sandhu Rooftop Garden at Butler,” says Butler President James Danko.

Butler recently committed an additional $10 million in financial aid for incoming and current students in response to the COVID-19 crisis. One of the goals of the University’s new Butler Beyond strategic direction is to expand access to a more diverse set of learners in keeping with Butler’s founding mission. Philanthropic support of student scholarships is critical to achieving this vision for Butler’s future.

“At a time when many of our current and prospective students are facing financial challenges due to the unforeseen effects of this pandemic, providing access to education through a scholarship is an especially meaningful gift,” says Vice President for Enrollment Management Lori Greene. “Butler University is deeply grateful to the Sandhu family for their generosity to our students, and we look forward to celebrating Chain’s life and legacy every year by awarding this scholarship to a deserving student following in his footsteps.”

Butler Beyond: The Campaign for Butler University is the University’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, with a goal of $250 million. The campaign will conclude on May 31, 2022.

Media Contact:
Katie Grieze
News Content Manager
kgrieze@butler.edu
260-307-3403