Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Mari Plikuhn, University of Evansville associate professor of sociology, will be the speaker for UE’s Andiron Lecture on Wednesday, February 1. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 4:00 p.m., in Eykamp Hall, Room 252, in Ridgway University Center.

The topic of Plikuhn’s lecture will be “Alpha Scholars and First-Generation Families.” Students who are the first in their families to attend college represent a growing presence on college campuses nationwide, yet research on concerns and challenges their families face with their college attendance is virtually non-existent. During her talk, Plikuhn will present information from a study that bridged this gap in research by examining family experiences of 400 first-generation college students.

Plikuhn is associate director of UE’s Eykamp Center for Teaching Excellence. She was named the University of Evansville Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2012 and currently serves as the Governor of Indiana for Pi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society in Social Sciences. She earned her PhD and MS degree in sociology from Purdue University. She also earned MS degrees in sociology and marriage and family therapy and a graduate certification in survey research from Purdue University Calumet. Her area of research specialization is in family sociology, specifically in the successes and challenges of first-generation college students.

Other lectures in this series include:

March 1, 4:00 p.m., Eykamp Hall, Room 252, Ridgway University Center

“Toward a New Nostalgia for Public Libraries: Engaging, Inquiring, and Empowering” – Cynthia Sturgis Landrum, director of the Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library

April 5, 4:00 p.m., Eykamp Hall, Room 252, Ridgway University Center

“Diggers, Farmers, and Townsmen: Irish Immigrants in Southwestern Indiana” – Daniel Gahan, UE professor of history

The Andiron Lectures in Liberal Arts and Sciences series is sponsored by the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences and supported by a generous gift from Donald B. Korb. For more information, call 812-488-1070 or 812-488-2589.

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