UE ChangeLab Projects Receive Honorable Mentions at Civvys
Evansville, IN (04/30/2021) — Two ChangeLab projects of the University of Evansville Center for Innovation & Change received honorable mentions at the fourth annual American Civic Collaboration Awards, or Civvys. The event was hosted live from Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 19.
"We are thrilled to see the positive impact of our student and faculty-led ChangeLab projects recognized not just in our local community, but also at the national level," said Erin Lewis, director of the Center for Innovation & Change. "Both teams that participated in these award-winning projects worked diligently across disciplines to create powerful change through innovation and inclusion."
As an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, UE gives students the opportunity to create a lasting impact in the community through ChangeLabs, which are courses that connect the classroom with the world. Students work together in teams to turn an idea into reality, bringing positive change to businesses, nonprofits, and communities throughout the world.
The first honorable mention was for "COVID Between the Coasts," a collaborative ChangeLab project between UE, Que Pasa, Midwest?, and WNIN. Hypothesizing that news media largely reported on the pandemic from the east and west coasts, this team conducted research to assess COVID-19 exclusively in the Midwest. The project was led by Darrin Weber, PhD, assistant professor of mathematics; and Tamara Wandel, PhD, associate professor of communications.
Evansville Adaptive Watersports also received an honorable mention at the 2020 Civvys. At UE's first Community Changemaker Challenge, Philip Jacobs presented a winning idea that would support local residents with disabilities by providing accessibility to watersports. After the event, the ChangeLab project was guided by a team of four undergraduate and graduate UE students: Jamie Born, Jalyn Davis, Brooksie Smith, and Ashlyn Thompson. Evansville Adaptive Watersports successfully launched last fall, and the disabilities served include autism, spina bifida, paraplegic, brain injuries, and more.
The Civvys highlight best practices in civic collaboration in America, and awards are given at the national, youth, and local levels. The 2020 awards brought a record-setting number of entries, and finalists were selected by the Civvys Review Committee.
Students at the University of Evansville shape powerful and enduring change. UE is the first in Indiana to be designated as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, and its changemaking culture empowers students to improve the world around them as UE Changemakers. UE has an array of majors in business; engineering; the arts and sciences; and health science programs. UE has a diverse student body that represents 44 states and 52 countries. U.S. News & World Report recognizes UE as the #4 Best College in the Midwest among private schools. For more information, please visit evansville.edu.
University of Evansville
uerelations@evansville.eduShare this Story
Recent News
- University of Evansville Mourns the Passing of President Emeritus Dr. James S. Vinson
- 2024 UE Graduates Achieve Strong Career Outcomes
- UE Board of Trustees Names New Chair
- University of Evansville Receives $500,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Expand Youth Programs on Campus
- University of Evansville Receives $33,000 in Grants from Efroymson Family Fund to Advance Visual Arts and Student Experience
- EVSC Breaks Ground on Innovation Center for Science and Health in Partnership with UE
- EVSC, UE to Break Ground on Innovation Center for Science and Health
- Meet University of Evansville Athletes at EVPL McCollough's "Ace the Summer" Event
- University of Evansville Choirs to Perform at Carnegie Hall
- University of Evansville Theatre announces 2025-2026 Season