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Indianapolis heats up with the 2008 Kroger Indy Jazz Fest

admin — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:19:51 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — With summer’s rising temperatures, the 2008 Kroger Indy Jazz Fest presented by Coca-Cola adds heat with steamy performances by Grammy Award-winner John Legend, Buddy Guy and Freddie Hubbard. For the first time in the history of the Indy Jazz Fest, the soul music will continue with a performance each day by an award-winning American Pianists Association (APA) Jazz Fellow. For more information about the Jazz Fellowship, visit http://www.americanpianists.org/programs/jazzFell.aspx.

In addition, performances at the Kroger Indy Jazz Fest will be the only thing smoking, as the fest goes smoke-free for the first time. The Festival also does its part to keep Military Park and the community clean by partnering with community leaders Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Countrymark Co-op and Cummins Power Generators.

Artist Line-up includes performances by:

Friday: Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel, Bettye LaVette, Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, Adam Brinbaum (former APA Jazz Fellow) and Buddy Guy

Saturday: Headliner John Legend, Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band, Stephanie Browning Quartet, Dan Tepfer Trio (APA Jazz Fellow), Freddie Hubbard, Tad Robinson, Dave Koz and Kenny Phelps and Hannaneel

Sunday: Robin McKelle Quartet, Aaron Parks Quartet (former APA Jazz Fellow) and Legends of Jazz Tour presented by AARP, including Ramsey Lewis, Paquito D’Rivera and Fourplay

Tickets are now available at any Kroger store in Indiana or through June 11 at indyjazzfest.net. Single day tickets are $25 and $65 for a three-day pass. Tickets can also be purchased at Military Park the day of the event with CASH ONLY for $25 for Friday and $35 for Saturday and Sunday. Children 14 and younger are free when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult.

For more information about the Kroger Indy Jazz Fest presented by Coca-Cola or to purchase tickets, visit www.indyjazzfest.net or call (317) 940-8072.

The American Pianists Association receives support from the City of Indianapolis through the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, the Indiana General Assembly through the Indiana Arts Commission and the U.S. Congress through the National Endowment for the Arts, among others.

Vintage Indiana celebrates state wine industry

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 03:29:22 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Festival returns to Indianapolis on Saturday (June 7) at Military Park.

The 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. festival, sponsored by the Indiana Wine Grape Council located at Purdue University, will give visitors the opportunity to taste more than 200 wines from 21 Indiana wineries.

“Vintage Indiana is a wonderful celebration of Indiana’s wine industry,” said Jeanette Merritt, marketing director for the Indiana Wine Grape Council and festival director. “Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or simply appreciate a good glass of wine from time to time, Vintage Indiana offers a broad range of flavors and styles.”

The event also will feature foods from local restaurants, cooking and wine demonstrations and live music.

Cooking and wine demonstrations will be held in the Wine and Food Experience Pavilion and will be hosted by Indianapolis TV personality Jill Ditmire. Live music will be performed throughout the day by the Woomblies, Brigid’s Cross and Jennie DeVoe.

Radio Disney will provide entertainment for children in the form of the Radio Disney KidZone – a Disney-themed interactive attraction that includes carnival games, miniature golf and ice cream for an additional cost.

Festival tickets are available at participating wineries, Marsh Supermarkets and online at www.vintageindiana.com. Advance ticket prices are $20 for adults (21 years and older), $10 for designated drivers and $5 for youth (ages 6-20). Children 5 and under will be admitted for free.

Tickets also can be purchased at the event for $23 for adults, $10 for designated drivers and $5 for youth. All guests are required to show proof of age at the gate.

A list of all participating wineries and vendors is available online at www.vintageindiana.com or by calling (800) 832-WINE.

All Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Festival proceeds benefit the Indiana Wine Grape Council, which promotes the development of the state’s wine and grape industry.

Research initiative will benefit Hoosiers statewide

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 03:23:26 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A federal award to fund the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute validates Indiana’s position as a biomedical research leader, and citizens across Indiana and beyond will benefit, say Hoosier life sciences leaders.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a five-year grant of $25 million to the IU School of Medicine to fund Indiana CTSI activities at Indiana and Purdue Universities. The NIH created the clinical and translational awards program as a high priority effort to improve the process by which the laboratory discoveries of basic science are transformed into new medical treatments and products – a process called translational research.

Officials at the NIH said the Indiana CTSI is one of the most broadly collaborative of the more than two dozen such programs it has funded to date, with community partners including Clarian Health, Eli Lilly and Co., BioCrossroads, Cook Group, Roche, Wellpoint, the Indiana Economic Development Corp., the Indiana Department of Health and the Marion County Health Department.

“The institute harnesses all of Indiana’s major life sciences research centers into a commonly focused enterprise that will give Indiana’s research scientists many new advantages in finding ways to do their work more effectively and efficiently,” said IU President Michael A. McRobbie. “Over the long term, this will have an enormously positive impact on the state and will make laboratories at both IU and Purdue far more competitive for the major research awards of the future.”

“This partnership creates the only national clinical and translational sciences institute that’s a statewide research laboratory, and the National Institutes of Health acknowledged that,” said France A. Córdova, president of Purdue. “This unique structure means Purdue and Indiana university researchers can address the human health needs of the entire state, especially those in our more rural communities.”

One key to the success of the Indiana CTSI will be its ability to go beyond translating scientific discoveries to treatments and standard health care practices, said Anantha Shekhar, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at IU School of Medicine and IU assistant vice president for life sciences, who has been named director of the Indiana CTSI.

“We will build systems that facilitate all levels of research and provide community feedback to researchers. This will enable the researchers to improve and refine the conduct of their science and improve care of their patients. We call it the “translational circle,’ ” Dr. Shekhar said.

Connie Weaver, Ph.D., head of the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue, has been named deputy director of the CTSI at Purdue. Bennett Bertenthal, Ph.D., dean of the IU College of Arts and Sciences, has been named deputy director for the IU Bloomington campus.

D. Craig Brater, M.D., vice president for life sciences of IU and dean of the IU School of Medicine, noted that the institute represents the future of biomedical research.

“The health issues facing us are enormous, the science is complex, and resources must be used carefully. Just as the emphasis on translational science is of vital importance, so are broad-based partnerships and collaborations keys to our success in Indiana. Both are epitomized by the CTSI,” Dr. Brater said.

The heart of the CTSI process will be project development teams, composed of researchers with a broad range of relevant backgrounds. The teams will meet regularly to hear proposals from scientists, assigning project managers to help move discoveries through the additional research and testing steps necessary to produce new medicines and treatment practices.

Because children are under-represented in clinical research, and recognizing IU’s expertise in both pediatric basic science research and treating young patients through such institutions as the Wells Center for Pediatric Research and Riley Hospital for Children, a separate team will focus on children’s health research. The Pediatric Research Acceleration Team will be headed by Scott Denne, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine.

“We believe that focusing attention on children’s health is one of the ways the Indiana CTSI stands out among the clinical initiatives, and will bring dramatic benefits to children everywhere,” said Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., executive associate dean for research affairs at IU School of Medicine and president and CEO of Riley Hospital.

Another such team, the Translating Research into Practice Team, will focus on ways to help practicing physicians implement research findings in their work. For example, research has shown that collaborative efforts can help cancer patients in the community get better treatment for pain and depression. Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center and the Regenstrief Institute, both CTSI partners, are jointly implementing such a program with cancer physicians in Indianapolis incorporating telemedicine and partnerships with pain treatment specialists.

Another key aspect of the Indiana CTSI is its mission to train a new generation of researchers that are well versed in new technologies such as molecular medicine, community-based clinical trials, implementation studies of effective treatments, and economics of health practices. Kurt Kroenke, professor of medicine at IU, heads the training programs within the Indiana CTSI. Eli Lilly has made a substantial commitment to support training activities within the CTSI.

One aspect of the Purdue program will connect the new institute with Purdue’s statewide Extension educators.

“Carol Boushey, associate professor of foods and nutrition, will serve as a liaison between CTSI and our county educators,” Weaver said. “Carol’s work will be especially important in ensuring that we address the health issues of Indiana. This is where access meets impact.”

Boushey will communicate with county Extension leaders to identify the major community health issues in their areas and report her findings to the institute. Those findings will help researchers conduct community-based interventions and study the effects on the population. Similarly, when public health discoveries are made, Boushey will take the information back to counties that will benefit from it by developing training modules for county Extension educators based on the findings.

In addition to its work in Indiana’s 92 counties, Purdue will handle the nutrition and diet planning for clinical studies under the new partnership. Purdue’s School of Veterinary Medicine will spearhead the pre-clinical animal modeling studies for issues relating to human diseases.

Purdue’s Discovery Park will receive funding to create the third lab in the United States authorized to perform particular types of testing related to Vitamin D absorption and reaction in humans. The testing is necessary for studies of bone health.

The two universities bring a broad array of complementary resources to the initiative to develop faster and more effective methods for moving research discoveries from the laboratory to the patient bedside and to the marketplace. The Indiana CTSI will draw upon deep expertise at the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis in operating clinical (patient) studies, advanced biomedical research technologies such as genomics and bioinformatics, methodologies for conducting and analyzing research, training physicians and scientists, and bioethics.

“At IU Bloomington, we have a rapidly growing capacity for life sciences research across a broad range of disciplines,” Bertenthal said. “Our resources include new multi-disciplinary laboratories with state-of-the-art core facilities, such as imaging, supercomputing and magnetic resonance instrumentation that put us in the top tier of research universities. These facilities will play a major role in this new initiative.”

The Indiana CTSI builds on investments in research and technology transfer made by Purdue and IU, particularly since 2000. For example, in 2001 Purdue launched Discovery Park, which involves more than 1,000 scientists drawn from every academic unit at Purdue and has led to the creation of 20 new companies. IU has significantly bolstered its research enterprise, attracting top-flight scientists with such support as the $105 million granted by the Lilly Endowment for the Indiana Genomics Initiative. The Indiana General Assembly, meanwhile, has provided financial support for necessary new research facilities and granted $20 million in 2007 for new research initiatives at IU and Purdue.

“The main focus of Purdue’s Discovery Park is bringing people together to solve large-scale problems and then moving the solutions into the marketplace more quickly,” said Alan Rebar, senior associate vice president for research at Purdue and executive director of Discovery Park. “This new center will allow us to accelerate those efforts into more areas of human health.”

The CTSI’s organization will include an external advisory committee composed of Indiana business and government leaders and representatives of other NIH-funded clinical and translational science institutes.

“The CTSI is a nationally significant example of an unprecedented partnership among IU, Purdue, BioCrossroads, corporate leaders and local health care organizations to uncover new life sciences opportunities that can more quickly be put to work to advance human health,” said David Johnson, president and CEO of BioCrossroads. “Receiving this prestigious grant is just further evidence that we’re at the forefront of health care discovery and delivery. Being able to bring research out of the laboratories and into our communities will benefit Hoosiers all over the state.”

“The Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute is another demonstration of the collaboration and commitment among Indiana health care leaders to bring cutting-edge treatments from the bench to the bedside,” said Daniel F. Evans, Jr., president and CEO of Clarian Health.

Because CTSI’s activities will reach out to scientists, health care providers, businesses and communities statewide, CTSI officials will create an Internet-based home for the initiative, the CTSI HUB.

The CTSI HUB will give Hoosier investigators access to a rich database of the scientific resources available in Indiana – researchers and their work, research programs and institutes, and experts that can help them move their work forward. The HUB will help CTSI researchers more easily communicate, collaborate, and track their progress. It will link the Indiana CTSI to other clinical translational science organizations around the country. It also will enable CTSI to better communicate with, and educate, health care providers and consumers throughout Indiana.

“This represents the essence of the Indiana CTSI – a powerful statewide resource for a healthier Indiana,” said Dr. Shekhar.

Purdue graduates to take part in commencement ceremonies May 9-11

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:25:37 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University will award degrees at five campuses and seven College of Technology locations throughout Indiana during commencement ceremonies in May.

Commencement at the West Lafayette campus is scheduled for May 9-11 at Elliott Hall of Music. An estimated 5,947 degrees will be presented in four ceremonies that weekend, including 4,560 undergraduate degrees, 229 professional degrees, 773 master’s degrees and 385 doctoral degrees.

Purdue President France A. Córdova will address graduates at each ceremony. The ceremonies will feature two large video screens above the Elliott Hall stage. The screens will display a close-up image of each graduate receiving his or her diploma.

A live feed of the ceremonies also will be available online at mms://video.dis.purdue.edu/graduation

This link will not become active until 48 hours before the first ceremony.

Each graduation candidate is guaranteed four tickets to the commencement. Candidates can request up to two additional tickets, however, extra tickets are not guaranteed. Doors open to guests 90 minutes prior to the ceremony.

The ceremonies for the West Lafayette campus are:

May 9. 8 p.m. Colleges of Education and Engineering. Rebecca Lynn Hurst of Troy, Ohio, who will receive a bachelor’s degree from the College of Education, will provide the class response.
May 10. 9:30 a.m. College of Consumer and Family Sciences, School of Management and College of Science. Elizabeth Anne Proctor of Libertyville, Ill., who will receive bachelor’s degrees from the colleges of Science and Liberal Arts, will provide the class response.
May 10. 2:30 p.m. Colleges of Agriculture and Liberal Arts. Cody Elyse Cheetham of Zionsville, Ind., who will receive a bachelor’s degree from the College of Liberal Arts, will provide the class response.
May 11. 9:30 a.m. College of Technology and schools of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences. Akshay Thomas of Chennai, India, who will receive a bachelor’s degree from the School of Health Sciences, will provide the class response.

Commencement videos for each school will be available. A DVD costs $30, and order forms are available at Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse box office or by calling (765) 494-3933. Order forms can be submitted both before and after each commencement ceremony.

Commencement times and locations at other Purdue campuses are:

Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. 7 p.m. May 14 at the Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Center, where 420 Purdue degrees will be conferred.
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where 963 Purdue degrees will be awarded on May 11 in two ceremonies in Halls A-B-C of the Indiana Convention Center. The first ceremony, at 10 a.m., will include the schools of Dentistry, Education, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Informatics, Law-Indianapolis, Medicine, Nursing, Physical Education, Tourism Management, Public and Environmental Affairs, Social Work and the University Graduate Schools. The second ceremony, at 3 p.m., will include the Kelley School of Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering and Technology, Herron School of Art and Design, Journalism, Liberal Arts, Library and Information Science, Jacobs School of Music, and Science.
Purdue Calumet. 1:30 p.m. May 18 at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, where 687 Purdue degrees will be conferred.
Purdue North Central. 7 p.m. May 19 in the Athletics-Recreation Center at Valparaiso University, where 285 degrees will be conferred.

College of Technology commencements at locations around the state are:

Anderson/Muncie. 2 p.m. May 10 at the Anderson University Flagship Center, where 17 degrees will be conferred.

Columbus/Southeast Indiana. 6 p.m. May 6 at Columbus Learning Center auditorium, Room LC1000, where 39 degrees will be conferred.

Kokomo. 6 p.m. May 7 at Havens Auditorium, Indiana University at Kokomo, where 42 degrees will be conferred.

Indianapolis. 9:30 a.m. May 11. Elliott Hall of Music, where 13 degrees will be conferred with a West Lafayette campus ceremony.

Lafayette. 2 p.m. May 3 in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall, where 31 degrees will be conferred.

New Albany. 6 p.m. May 10 at the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center Auditorium, Indiana University Southeast, where 33 degrees will be conferred.

Richmond. 6:30 p.m. May 9 at the Vivian Auditorium in Whitewater Hall at Indiana University East, where 24 degrees will be conferred.

South Bend/Elkhart. 6:30 p.m. May 5 at Riverside Terrace, 426 Lincolnway East, Mishawaka, where 29 degrees will be conferred.

Supreme Court upholds Indiana’s voter identification law; lawyers’ group disappointed

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:58:04 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC — The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law issued a statement today expressing disappointment that the Supreme Court rejected a facial, constitutional challenge to Indiana’s voter identification law in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board. However, the Lawyers’ Committee notes that the Supreme Court left the door open for future constitutional challenges to voter identification laws.

“We remain committed to ensuring that laws which restrict the ballot to traditionally disfranchised voters without any evidence of in-person voter fraud will not go unchallenged,” stated Jon Greenbaum, director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project. “This is not the end of our fight to ensure that elections are open to all eligible citizens.”

The Supreme Court found that a voter identification law may place such a burden on groups of disadvantaged voters that the law would be unconstitutional, but that the plaintiffs fell short in developing their evidence of how the Indiana law burdened voters. Greenbaum cautioned that “state legislatures considering voting restrictions must consider the effect of those restrictions on minority, elderly, poor, disabled and homeless voters before enacting them.”

Unfortunately, during this primary season in its administration of the Election Protection program, the Lawyers’ Committee has already seen instances of the purpose of voter identification requirements being misunderstood by poll workers or applied in a discriminatory manner.

As part of its mission to protect and uphold the rights of traditionally disenfranchised voters, the Lawyers’ Committee will continue to combat unnecessarily restrictive voting laws, including photo identification and proof of citizenship requirements.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law, particularly in the areas of housing, community development, employment, voting, education and environmental justice. For more information about the LCCRUL, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.

Supreme Court upholds Indiana’s voter identification law; lawyers’ group disappointed

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:58:04 +0000

Deadlines extended for inaugural Indiana Companies to Watch program

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:03:26 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The deadline to nominate growth-oriented companies from across the state for the inaugural Indiana Companies to Watch awards program is being extended. The new deadline for nominating Indiana second-stage companies is April 25. Nominees and those applying directly must complete an application by May 9. The first class of winners will be announced and recognized Aug. 28 during a ceremony at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.

Purdue University is collaborating with the Indiana governor’s office, Indiana Economic Development Corp. and its Small Business Development Center Network, KeyBank, and the Edward Lowe Foundation for the 2008 program.

Candiss Vibbert

“While the response has been strong, we also wanted to give those around the state more time to be a part of this inaugural program,” said Candiss Vibbert, associate vice provost for engagement at Purdue and associate director for engagement in Discovery Park.

To be eligible, companies must be based in Indiana, privately held, advanced beyond the start-up phase, employ six to 150 full-time employees including the owner, and have $750,000 to $100 million in annual revenue or working capital in place from investors or grants.

To nominate a company or to get more information on the program, go to http://Indiana.CompaniesToWatch.org. Those nominated by the April 25 deadline will receive an e-mail with instructions to complete an online application by May 9. Nominations can come from an outside source or companies can apply directly.

The Edward Lowe Foundation, based in Cassopolis, Mich., conducts educational programs and provides information and recognition for second-stage entrepreneurs. The foundation hosts similar programs in Michigan and Arizona.

“The awards are designed to help communities tell a new story about economic growth,” said Penny Lewandowski, the foundation’s director of entrepreneurship.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges picked by the Indiana Economic Development Corp., Purdue and the Edward Lowe Foundation.

The Purdue team supporting the program includes representatives from the Purdue Center for Regional Development and the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Discovery Park, the College of Agriculture, Krannert School of Management, Purdue Alumni Association, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and Purdue Research Park.

The Indiana Small Business Development Center offers free and low-cost information, management counseling and educational services to support the state’s small-business owners and potential entrepreneurs, boosting economic development and creating jobs within the state.

The late Edward Lowe, the inventor of Kitty Litter, and his wife Darlene established the Edward Lowe Foundation in 1985. They envisioned an organization that would leverage entrepreneurship as a strategy for economic growth and community development.

SBA presents Doing Business with the Federal Government seminar, April 29

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:03:40 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is presenting small business informational seminars. The next SBA Seminar, Doing Business with the Federal Government, will be offered on Tuesday, April 29, 2008. The seminar will be conducted from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT at the SBA Indiana District Office, 8500 Keystone Crossing, Suite 400, Indianapolis.

Attendees will learn:

Where to find contracting opportunities;
How to register your business to sell to the government;
How to market your products and services;
Why you may need to obtain a surety bond and how.

Reservations are required as seating is limited. There is no cost for attending this SBA seminar on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Small Business Administration Indiana District Office.

For more information or to reserve your space, contact Mike Hasler at (317) 226-7272 x113 or michael.hasler@sba.gov.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is an agency of the Federal government.

Lafayette Online » Indianapolis

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