Latest InButler Magazine Spring 2026

Gabe Connell MBA ’01 first had the idea to start a pizza business as an undergrad marketing student in Bloomington, Indiana, where he and his girlfriend (now wife) often shared a pie at their favorite local shop.

Krissi Edgington ’05 has always been a challenger. So it wasn’t a surprise to many when she left her career as a sports marketing executive to become an entrepreneur.  “I’m a curious kind of troublemaker, and I always say I’m an advocate of ‘why,’” Edgington says. “I think ‘why’ gets a bad rap. A lot […]

Universities are often measured by rankings, programs, or facilities. Those things matter, but over time, I have come to believe our true impact is found in something more enduring: the people we shape and the communities they influence. I am reminded of that in my conversations with Butler students. Not long ago, a student shared […]

For Demico Southern ’28, owning a business means a shot at stability—a chance to set his own schedule, do things his way, and earn an income through work that he truly enjoys.  That’s why, in August 2025, Southern launched his own family food truck while still attending Software Engineering classes as a sophomore at Butler […]

While volunteering at the Near West Free Clinic (NWFC)—a no-cost, student-run clinic serving Indianapolis’ underserved westside—a first-year Butler PA student noticed slight discoloration on a patient’s neck. Though the routine visit was for knee pain, her observation led to a diagnosis of seriously uncontrolled diabetes. “If it wasn’t for the student actually thinking through a […]

Long before she was balancing college softball, science labs, and a color-coded planner full of to-do lists, Makena Alexander ’27 was a kid running around local ballfields in Frankton, Indiana.  What first started as Pee Wee Baseball soon transitioned to a softball league at the age of six—and then a travel league at the age […]

In cities with major medical schools and teaching hospitals— like Indianapolis—professional actors are increasingly stepping into exam rooms instead of rehearsal halls. When they’re not on stage or on set, many are working as simulated patients, portraying individuals with specific symptoms, histories, and emotions so future medical professionals can practice real-world care.  “Patient simulation sounds […]

When Cybil Stillson ’26 was deciding where to go to college, she had three important criteria in mind: staying in her home state of Indiana; pursuing a degree that would prepare her for a career in sports media; and competing in the sport she loves against the top players in the country. Though Butler wasn’t […]

You may think the shift from speech-language pathology to owning a small business is a big jump, but to Ali Dillingham ’03, owner of A Yarn Market in Carmel, Indiana, the similarities far outnumber the differences.  “With my background in speech therapy, I saw the benefits of knitting for anxiety, ADHD, and for preventing dementia. […]

As the fields of healthcare and education continue to evolve, Butler is reimagining and expanding its academic offerings to meet the needs of the community and to ensure students graduate with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in these dynamic industries. Reflecting this commitment, effective June 1, the College of Education will be renamed […]

Jim Conklin ’96 founded Cultivate Food Rescue in 2016 to feed hungry people in the South Bend/Plymouth/Elkhart, Indiana, area and reduce food waste. In the 10 years since, he has built an organization of 30 full-time employees and seven part-timers who have distributed more than 15 million pounds of food that might have otherwise gone […]

As Michael Hole prepares to return to Butler, he brings with him a career that defies easy categorization. A physician, professor, entrepreneur, and officer in the U.S. Air Force, Hole’s path spans rural Indiana roots to national service at the highest levels of government, including his role as Senior Advisor for Rural America at the […]