September 2023 News
Indiana Academy Seniors Win First Place at Undergraduate Conference
Friday, September 29, 2023
Congratulations to Indiana Academy seniors John Kim and Sunghoo Hong for winning the Undergraduate Award for Best Poster at the American Chemical Society “Think Like a Molecule” Poster Session, held at Marian University, located in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 21st, 2023. As a result of winning first place, both John and Sunghoo will receive a $100 cash prize.
Dr. Joel Olufowote, Director of Academic Affairs, remarks, “We take research seriously at the Academy and I’m estatic to hear that out of all the undergraduates who presented their posters at this session, the ACS judges rated John and Sunghoo’s research the best! To compete against college students and come out on top as a high school is a testament to the hard work and intentional mentorship of our faculty and staff across Academic Affairs. We also recognize the advantage we have leveraging the talented Ball State University faculty and research scientists that commit to the mission of our institution and flourishing of our students. Congrats to John, Sunghoo and the many others that made this opportunity and recognition possible.”
Indiana Academy Once Again Ranked #1 Public High School in Indiana
Monday, September 25, 2023
Niche.com released its 2024 high school rankings on Friday, September 22, and the Indiana Academy was once again listed as the #1 Best Public High School and #1 Best College Prep Public High School in the state of Indiana. The Academy also saw improvement in several areas over the 2023 rankings.
The complete Niche profile of the Academy is available here, but highlights include:
- #1 Best Public High School in Indiana
- #1 Best College Prep Public High School in Indiana
- #1 Best High School for STEM in Indiana
- #9 Best Public High School Teachers in the United States (up 6 spots over 2023 rankings)
- #13 Best Magnet School in the United States
- #21 Best Public High School in the United States (up 23 spots over 2023 rankings)
The Academy also received A+ grades in Academics, Teachers, College Prep, Administration, and Resources & Facilities, and received A grades in Diversity, Food, and Clubs/Activities.
According to Dr. Dain Kavars, Executive Director of the Indiana Academy, “The Indiana Academy is an incredible school changing the lives of our students. This is due to the hard work and dedication of every employee at the school! The deep care that each individual provides our students was evident on my first day at the Academy many years ago and is just as strong, if not stronger today!”
Academy Senior Daniel Yoo Selected for Washington and Lee University DIVE Program
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Congratulations to Indiana Academy senior Daniel Yoo on being selected to participate in Washington and Lee’s Diversity and Inclusion Visit Experience (DIVE) program, held in Alexandria. Virginia September 24-26. DIVE at W&L is a competitive, all expense paid visit for academically exceptional high school seniors. Over three days, DIVErs will be immersed in college life and reside in the residence halls with a current W&L student, attend classes, and explore student clubs and campus activities. ’23 graduate and current Washington and Lee freshman Jaehun Kim will serve as Daniel’s campus partner. “What a fantastic opportunity for Daniel to experience life as a Washington and Lee student by reconnecting with Jaehun and experiencing campus through a close friend!” Dr. Olufowote, Director of Academic Affairs, goes on to say. “Daniel is a competitive applicant who is also considering Vanderbilt, the University of Chicago, Bowdoin, MIT, and a few other highly selective colleges and universities to attend so it does not surprise me that Washington and Lee also sees his potential. He’s worked very hard while at the Academy and I’m enjoying seeing the fruit of his labor unfold!”
You can read more about DIVE at W&L here: www.wlu.edu/admissions/visit/dive
Dr. Olufowote to Present Research at Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences Annual Meeting
Monday, September 18, 2023
Dr. Joel Olufowote’s research article, “Recruiting Diverse Candidates: Building Upon the Elusive Framework,” was accepted for presentation at this years’ Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences 94th annual meeting, to be held at Indiana University Kokomo on October 6th. “Up until now, there really isn’t a cohesive, generalizable approach to recruiting a diverse workforce, despite the growing recognition of its workplace benefits,” remarks Dr. Olufowote. “This study captures the varying recruitment strategies of over seventy institutions of higher education seeking diversity professionals and/or diverse educators. I then use this data to construct a best practice framework for talent acquisition and recruitment approaches other institutions seeking a diverse workplace can model and implement.”
U.S. News Recognizes Indiana Academy Among Best High Schools
Thursday, September 7, 2023
The 2023-2024 U.S. News public high school rankings have been released, and the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities is once again listed among the best high schools in the state and the nation. The Indiana Academy received an overall score of 98.88 out of 100, putting the school at #2 in the state out of 438 schools and #198 in the nation out of more than 18,000 ranked schools.
“These are strong rankings and consistent with rankings of the last several years,” says Dr. Dain Kavars, Executive Director of the Indiana Academy. “With a huge selection of dual credit courses, options for Ball State courses, research internships, classes that dive deep into the material, directed studies, etc., I’m very happy with the variety of options we offer our students that prepare them for life after high school.”
Established by the Indiana legislature in 1988, the Indiana Academy is located on the campus of Ball State University and operates under the Teachers College as a school devoted to the education of students who demonstrate extraordinary intellectual ability and a commitment to scholarship. The Academy’s collegiate level curriculum is taught by nationally ranked faculty who are professionals in their fields, and all faculty have a minimum of a master’s degree with about half also having their doctorates. All students attending the Academy are working toward earning a Core 40 with Honors diploma.
“It is always humbling to be acknowledged for the education we strive to offer our students,” remarks Dr. Joel Olufowote, Director of Academic Affairs. “Although this recognition is an institutional one, we’d be remiss not mentioning the many dedicated support personnel and staff that serve diligently each day partnering with administrators and educators as we pursue excellence both in and outside of the classroom. We are all excited to be known as a top 200 school in the nation, and we are even more so committed to serving the high-ability, gifted student through our curriculum and co-curriculum.”
The U.S. News rankings include data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to traditional high schools, the rankings encompass charter; magnet; and science, technology, engineering and math-focused schools. The full U.S. News ranking for the Indiana Academy can be found here: www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/indiana/districts/indiana-academy-for-sci-math-hmn/the-indiana-academy-7106