February 2025 News
Academy Alum Vanessa Svihla Receives Presidential Award
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Vanessa Svihla, Indiana Academy class of 1993, received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for her National Science Foundation CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development Program) project, “Framing and Reframing Agency in Making and Engineering” (FRAME). The PECASE is the highest honor from the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their research careers.
As part of the FRAME project, Vanessa developed the Wrong Theory Protocol, an idea generation technique where students frame a problem, generate harmful ideas, then propose beneficial ideas to fix the problem. This unique method allows students to achieve a balance between empathy and creativity to solve problems. Vanessa’s research focuses on how people learn as they design various projects and, more specifically, how they frame problems.
After graduating from the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, Vanessa attended Smith College for her undergraduate degree, University of Texas in Austin for her master’s in science in Geology and PhD in STEM Education. She joined the University of New Mexico in 2011 as a professor of learning sciences and chemical & biological engineering. She is the fifth faculty member from UNM to receive this award.
Academy TSA Team Excels at Purdue University Competition
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
The Indiana Academy TSA (Technology Student Association) team traveled to Purdue University over the February 14-16 weekend. The team, originally comprised of nine members, was reduced to four due to illness and scheduling conflicts. Asia Genawi, Luv Patel, Eric Dinh, and Isaac Fischer were able to attend and compete in events against other TSA teams from around the state of Indiana represented by much larger delegations.
Academy team member Chris Holmquist was able to submit his essay on Technology and his audio podcast the week prior to the weekend event, and the committee did excuse Chris from the requisite in-person interview, since he was not able to attend. His essay won first place for the State of Indiana, and his audio podcast received fifth place.
Asia Genawi, TSA Indiana State Vice President, was given a plaque and special cords to wear at graduation in recognition of her hard work over the past two years in state leadership roles. TSA Indiana State Secretary Ethan Tomlin was also honored with a plaque and graduation cords, though he was unable to attend in person. Having two state officers from one school is rare, which “says a lot for the quality of the students at the Indiana Academy,” according to sponsor Ms. Susie Cunningham.
As an unexpected yet welcome surprise, the Indiana Academy was awarded the title of TSA Chapter of the Year. This award is based on points earned through activities a TSA Chapter completes in a one-year period. The Academy’s TSA team has worked very hard this year to complete these tasks and their dedication has certainly paid off.
Ms. Cunningham says, “I am very proud of this year’s team!”
Indiana Academy Shines at Model UN-University of Chicago
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
A fifteen student Model UN delegation from the Indiana Academy recently competed in the 2025 Model UN-University of Chicago (MUNUC) conference from February 6th through February 9th. MUNUC’s annual conference in downtown Chicago ranks as one of the best in the world, attracting over 3,000 students from across the United States and around the world. Students from the Academy participated across several committees with about half earning recognition for exemplar performances. Congratulations go to Alex Christman, Alex Overmars, Kenne Rasnick, Rori Hailey, Henry Godfrey, Kenny Gihozo, Keagan Brogdon, Christopher Holmquist, John Eenigenburg, Jeevisha Dhanda, A.J. Carter, Ella Robertson, Jackson Bales, Brody Chestnut, and Agastya Anand for a job well done! “Being recognized at a Model UN conference this large is usually reserved for the top 3-5% of schools and delegates that participate. Considering the global talent and staunch preparation we competed against, returning with seven of our students earning recognition is beyond impressive and almost unimaginable,” remarks Dr. Olufowote, Director of Academic Affairs and Academy Model UN sponsor. Award winners can be found below:
War of the Roses: YORK
Honorable mention – Ella Robertson
Planes, Trains, and automobiles: TRANSIT
Honorable mention – Jackson Bales
The Russian Constitutional convention: RUSSIA
Honorable mention – Brody Chestnut
The court of the Nizams: HYDERABAD
Verbal commendation – Agastya Anand
NATO: Belgium
Verbal commendation – Alex Overmars
EU: Belgium
Verbal commendation- Christopher Holmquist & John Eenigenburg
Quiz Bowl Team Qualifies for State, National Tournaments
Thursday, January 30, 2025
On Saturday, January 25, the Indiana Academy’s Quiz Bowl team competed in the regional Quiz Bowl tournament sponsored by the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP). The team consisting of Brody Chestnut, Lena Beghtel, Hunter Dunnuck, Isaac Fischer, and Sarah Glunt took second place and qualified for both the state championship sponsored by the IASP and the Small School National Championship Tournament (SSNCT) sponsored by National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC (NAQT), the suppliers of the questions used in the tournament.
This is the 6th year in a row that the Indiana Academy has qualified for this national championship, and the team hopes to improve on last year’s 5-5 performance, the best in school history. The SSNCT will be held April 25-27 in Rosemont, Illinois.
Congratulations to the Indiana Academy Quiz Bowl team for their excellent performance!
Jessica Edrington Selected as Lilly Fellow
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Congratulations to Assistant Lecturer of Mathematics and Academy alum Jessica Edrington for her selection as a Lilly Fellow through the 2025 Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program. As one of the 129 funded projects out of the thousands received from across the state of Indiana, Professor Edrington will utilize the $15,000 fellowship award to explore the significant contributions women have made in the mathematics sciences.
Entitled “Recognizing and Celebrating Women in Mathematics,” this project will take Professor Edrington to Alexandria, Egypt; Milan, Italy; Gottingen, Germany; among other locations with historical significance that chronicle the intersection of pioneering women within the mathematical sciences. Professor Edrington not only continues the success of Academy faculty that have received a Lilly Creativity Fellowship over the last several years but also adds to the distinguished accomplishments of our alumni!
Fall 2024 Director’s Lists
Friday, January 10, 2025
Congratulations to the following students whose academic achievements in the Fall semester of 2024 led them to this recognition!
