From Stress to Success: Managing Finals Week
Finals week can feel overwhelming, but students don’t have to navigate it alone. With a mix of preparation, balance, and campus support, success is within reach.
Finals week can feel overwhelming, but students don’t have to navigate it alone. With a mix of preparation, balance, and campus support, success is within reach.
The following was shared with students on April 24, 2026:
Congratulations to the officers and faculty advisor for Ladies of Safety for winning the 2026 Virginia Dixon Student Organization Award.
Congratulations to Grace Rougeaux on winning the distinguished Patricia Hilliard Robertson Memorial Scholarship!
Outstanding IUP undergraduate and graduate student researchers were honored April 22 during the IUP Scholars Forum Awards Brunch held in Sutton Hall’s Blue Room. The awards event is sponsored by IUP Research and Innovation and the IUP Research Institute.
This year’s Indiana University of Pennsylvania “Chalk the Walk” sidewalk commentary contest on April 29 has been expanded to include special events in celebration of IUP’s sesquicentennial, all open to the community.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Students for Sustainability Club has organized several events for April 24 in celebration of Earth Day.
Susan Storrick Timko, MA, a 1991 SAHE alumna, has been named this year’s Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, recognized for her extensive career in higher education and student success. With over 20 years of experience in advising, program development, and leadership, she continues to make a meaningful impact and has chosen to support the IUP Food Pantry and Help Center with her award.
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has recently released, Analysis of Pennsylvania Crime Trends: An Updated Rural/Urban Comparison, a new research report examining crime trends across Pennsylvania’s rural and urban counties from 2013 through 2023
Christina Koren, director of Strategic Partnerships at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was selected to moderate a session for the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment (PHC4) Conference held April 16 in Harrisburg.
The following was shared with students on April 20, 2026:
The ISACA Foundation Scholarship program is currently accepting applications. These scholarships provide more than just financial aid; they offer a bridge into the industry through global networking and professional memberships.
As assistant director of Academic and Career Success, Jeremy Risinger guides students through the transition to college life, helping them navigate academic challenges and career planning to ensure a successful journey at IUP.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s doctoral programs in education have been selected by “U.S. News and World Report” for its 2026 “best graduate schools” rankings.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Alpha Sigma Tau sorority (Delta chapter) raised more than $3,125 and several needed items for regional and local nonprofit organizations during Philanthropy Week, held during the week of March 14.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania will continue its sesquicentennial celebration with a commemorative tree dedication on April 22 at 4:00 p.m.
Two alumni of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Jere Cowden and Sharon Tahl Cowden, have continued their long-time support for IUP with a gift to support IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
Crystal Machado, faculty member in the Department of Professional Studies in Education, published an article with coauthor Cheryl Harris, a doctoral student in the Department. Their article, “Digital Support for Scholarly Writing: Tools that Don’t Break the Budget,” appears in Early Childhood Education Journal.
Members of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine leadership team and IUP faculty members Rick Adkins and John Benhart were invited presenters for the Appalachian Regional Commission “Network Appalachia” meeting, showcasing the region’s experts on transportation, robotics, economic development, and emerging technologies.
The following was shared with students on April 15, 2026:
The Cook Honors College at Indiana University of Pennsylvania will offer Design, Build, Play as the academic centerpiece of its 2026 Summer Honors Program, July 6–24.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania alumni and friends were recognized during the university’s annual Celebration Weekend with the annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast and the Distinguished Alumni Awards Gala on April 11.
The following was shared with students on April 14, 2026:
Lamia Dawood, a student in Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Administration and Leadership doctoral program from Indiana; Abdul Jones, a student in the applied archaeology master’s program from Philadelphia; and Amar Mmoud, a student in the Curriculum and Instruction doctoral program from Indiana, were selected as finalists for IUP’s 2026 Three Minute Thesis competition.
Hundreds of students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania will provide service to seven Indiana County organizations and agencies through the spring Into the Streets event on April 18.
IUP student Alistair Horton is bridging the gap between theory and the classroom at Indiana Junior High School. Guided by IUP alumnus Zack Karcher, Alistair is discovering the power of the vast IUP music education network. This collaborative mentorship highlights how IUP prepares future educators with the essential tools and a lifelong professional community, ensuring success from student teaching to a rewarding music career.
On Saturday, March 21, 2026, the Appalachian Professional Language Educators’ Society (APPLES) hosted its annual Foreign Language Festival on the IUP campus. Approximately 130 foreign language students from local area high schools participated.
As part of the Pennsylvania State Police “Come Get to Know Us” events to provide communities across the Commonwealth with an inside look at career opportunities and specialized units within PSP, members of the PSP Recruitment Services Section will be in and around the Oak Grove at IUP’s Indiana campus.
Crystal Machado and Emmanuella Musiime presented their peer-reviewed paper “Balancing Demands and Supports: Understanding Women Faculty Well‑Being Across Synchronous, Asynchronous, and Hybrid Modalities” at the 2026 Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference in Philadelphia.
Crystal Machado collaborated with Yao Fu, Jiaxi Wang, and Ozgul Kartal from the University of Wisconsin to present their peer-reviewed paper, “Preservice Teachers’ AI Use and Responsible AI Self‑Efficacy: An Exploratory Study,” at the 2026 Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference.
Faculty member Crystal Machado and doctoral student Cheryl Harris, Professional Studies in Education, presented their peer-reviewed paper, “Empowering Writers: Ethical and Low-Cost Technologies for Academic Writing,” at the 2026 Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference in Philadelphia.
Kayla Kritschil, a senior hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from Birdsboro, has been selected for the Statler Foundation’s Scholarship of Excellence.
Cynthia Roldan, a Philadelphia native majoring in English and biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was named the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Theresa McDevitt Women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Research Award.
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with the Altoona Symphony Orchestra, will present a special performance titled “Cosmic Voyage,” featuring selections from Gustav Holst’s iconic orchestral suite “The Planets” on Sunday, April 12, at 3:00 p.m. in Fisher Auditorium.
Retired Rear Admiral CJ Jaynes, a 1979 mathematics bachelor’s degree graduate who also earned her master’s in mathematics in 1982 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has continued her support for IUP with a $100,000 gift to IUP’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign.
The following was shared with students on April 7, 2026:
John Wesley Lowery was recognized with the University College Outstanding Researcher Award at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for his nationally recognized scholarship and leadership in student affairs. His continued contributions to research, professional organizations, and the field—particularly in student conduct—highlight his lasting impact on higher education.
Grace Rougeaux, an Indiana County student attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was selected for the 2026 Patricia Hilliard Robertson Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Female Science Student.
Megan Seaman came to IUP unsure of her path. Once she got here, she found her voice, and her passion, in computer science. In the summer of 2025, she participated in the U-SOAR program, where she did research on using artificial intelligence to detect breast cancer.
Students, alumni, and faculty of IUP’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance participated in Penns Manor High School’s recent production of “Matilda.” The musical was performed on March 26–28, 2026.
IUP’s annual Day of Giving is April 23, 2026. Join our team for a 24-hour online event that brings together alumni, parents, friends, and the entire IUP family to support students and celebrate philanthropy.
IUP will celebrate innovation through student and faculty research and alumna success during Research Appreciation Week, April 6–10. Research Appreciation Week spotlights the spirit of innovation and collaboration in disciplines throughout the university and recognizes the contributions of IUP’s original research and scholarship
IUP’s Theater-by-the-Grove, a student performance organization in the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, presents the cult-favorite musical “Ride the Cyclone.” Performances will take place April 9–11 at 7:30 p.m. and April 12 at 2:00 p.m. on the Waller Hall Mainstage.
On April 17, the Allenwood at IUP, located on the ground floor of Ackerman Hall, will host Passport to France, a one-day immersive travel-readiness workshop, a practical, hands-on session focused on essential travel preparation, including documents, money, transportation, health, culture, and emergency planning. Registration closes April 10.
Smith-Sherwood and Witthöft present on UNIV 101 First Learning Year at the 57th Northeast Modern Language Association Convention in Pittsburgh.
IUP Anthropology faculty members Abigail Adams and Amanda Poole, along with students Shanya Coshey, Marisol Gonzalez Flores, Seth Koch, Samantha Langley, and Abigail Trimble, attended the eighty-sixth annual Society for Applied Anthropology meetings held March 17–21, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Abigail Adams attended the eighty-sixth annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and participated in a two-session memorial panel to honor the late visionary applied anthropologist Victor Garcia.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania celebrated 120 employees who reached milestone years of service in 2025, and IUP President Michael Driscoll presented the second “One IUP” Award to the Crimson Core Team during the annual Employee Service and Leadership Awards event on March 26.
Through PC4A, Concurrent Technologies Corporation is hosting a webinar to help students learn more about the process for obtaining a security clearance.