Hello LGBTQ+ Alumni and Friends:
 
We have lots of exciting things to share with you.  Contact us if you have any questions!

LGBTQ+ Celebration Weekend Success
 
The IU LGBTQ+ Alumni Association wants to thank our donors, award recipients, attendees, community volunteers, board members, alumni association staff for making the 2019 Celebration Weekend a roaring success!

Jeff Richardson, the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award garnered a standing ovation from a crowd of nearly 200 guests on Friday, February 1st in the IMU Tudor Room. Tears and applauses were heard throughout the room when the awardees made their remarks and collected their awards. Student Spirit Award Recipients were Sean Harrington, Quinn Titus, and Sydney Ziegler; the Staff Award was presented to Jenifer Berry; the Faculty Spirit Award recipient was Brian Dodge; the Department Spirit Award was presented to the Office of Scholarships; the School Spirit Award recipient was the Office of the Dean of SPEA; and Doug Bauder was presented with the distinction of Honorary Alumnus of Indiana University for his outstanding career of serving the queer community. 

The Silent Auction, which took place at the beautiful FAR Center for Contemporary Arts on Saturday, February 2nd goes down in history for raising more money than our previous Silent Auctions! The IU LGBTQ+ AA was able to raise over $8,000 during the three-hour event when bidding closed just before 6pm. Attendees included students, faculty, staff, and community supporters. All of the proceeds from the event will help fund LGBTQ+ student scholarships as well as queer programming organized by the IU LGBTQ+ AA. 

Women's Basketball Pride Night - Feb. 21
Join us on February 21st at 6:30 pm to cheer on the IUB Women's Basketball team as they take on Iowa. Go Hoosiers!   

This event marks the 6th annual Pride Night and will take place with a light dinner in the "Spirit of 76" Suite located in the south end of the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Your $20 ticket includes the game, a light meal, door prizes, remarks by Head Coach Terri Moren, and musical entertainment by the Pride Chorus. To participate in the chorus contact Rebecca Keith. Tip off is at 8pm. 

All IU faculty, staff, and students should bring their IU ID card and can obtain 1-2 free game tickets at the ticket window.  
Research of Queer Women of Color in Sororities
Queer women of color who are members of an MGC/NPHC sorority are invited to share their experiences in a series of interviews. Participants will be compensated with a $20 Amazon gift card. Learn more here.
Themester Internship Opportunities
The College of Arts & Sciences is hiring paid interns for Themester 2019. Internship opportunities include involvement in podcasting, outreach, communications, events, and design. Learn more and apply here. Application deadline is February 15th.
IUAA Scholarship Deadline - March 10

The IU LGBTQ+ Alumni Association has granted over 98 scholarships since 2003 including both academic awards and emergency funding. The deadlines for both of these scholarships is March 10th. Learn more and apply for these opportunities here.

In addition to the academic and emergency scholarships, the IU LGBTQ+ Culture Center offers the James D. Fielding Student Advocate Training Award, The Jeffery Haynes Hills LGBTQ+ Scholarship, and the Judy and Inez Reece Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Wellness. Read more and apply for these scholarships here.

New Board Members Elected!
We are excited to announce new members to our board of directors including one student board member representing the IUPUI campus. Here are some short introductions of each newly elected member who take office on July 1.

Benjamin Liechty (top left): Representing voices from the IU Kokomo campus, I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with some of the greatest LGBTQ+ individuals in an effort to further raise the visibility of IU and the LGBTQ+ community among alumni. I look forward to the great things the IUAA LGBTQ+ group will do for the next generation of IU alumni. 
Mara Bernstein (top right): Mara graduated with her Master of Arts in Anthropology focusing on sociocultural studies and linguistics. She works as an Advancement Associate with the IU Libraries in donor relations and stewardship. Mara volunteers with Bloomington PRIDE, Black Lives Matter Bloomington, and serves as a staff advisor for the Irish American Community at IU. 
Abbey Stemler (bottom left): Abbey is an Assistant Professor of Business Law & Ethics at the Kelley School of Business. Her research interests explore the complexities and possibilities of innovation law. In particular, she is a leading scholar on the sharing economy and has published multiple articles on the subject. Abbey is also a practicing attorney, consultant to the World Bank, entrepreneur, avid traveler, and blogger
Connor Hakes (bottom right): Connor earned his Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from IU and a Certificate in Philanthropy from IUPUI. He serves as an Associate Director of Development for IU Bloomington. Connor spearheaded the 2019 Celebration Weekend Committee, leading it to the most successful fund-generating Silent Auction in the IU LGBTQ+ AA's history. 
Bear Ramirez (bottom center): Hello!  My name is Skyler August Bear Ramirez. I am one of the student board members and I represent the IUPUI campus.  I use they/them pronouns and I am in the last two semesters of my undergraduate program in Medical Sociology with a minor in Religious Studies. I'm thrilled to serve on this board and can't wait to see what this year brings. 

Deanna Lahre was recently elected as the Vice President after her long term of service as Treasurer and Jason Sprinkle was voted on as the Treasurer. Our entire team is excited to serve you in 2019 and the years to come!
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