Senior Academy December 2025 Newsletter

Bepko Community Award Winner Christine Fitzpatrick, President of the Senior Academy, presented Amy Conrad Warner, IU Indianapolis Vice Chancellor for Community Engagement, the Gerald L. Bepko Community Award at Amy’s retirement celebration Oct. 28. The Senior Academy established the Bepko Community Award to recognize individuals who have demonstrated commitment to strengthening the bonds and mutually advantageous relationships between the campus and the community. The award recognizes that Amy has served with notable distinction and an unwavering commitment to civic partnership and public service in a variety of roles since joining the campus in 1987. She exemplifies the spirit and actions of former IUPUI Chancellor Gerald L. Bepko in bringing to the campus attributes that continue to make it a vital asset in the greater community. In recognition of the award, President Fitzpatrick presented Amy with an engraved vase and a flower bouquet to go inside it.

Meet our Scholarship Winners

Four students are receiving scholarship support during 2025-26 from three endowed scholarship programs funded by Senior Academy members. We are featuring one student here each month.   

Senior Academy Returning Student Scholarship Afeez Adesina enrolled in sophomore status at IU Indianapolis after stopping out from college in 2018 due to financial challenges. Since then he has pursued work in the healthcare field, most recently as a Certified Medical Assistant. Originally from Nigeria, he plans to pursue a BS in Computer Science and hopes to build a technology-focused career with global impact.   Learn more and support the Senior Academy Returning Student Scholarship.

Sue Hyatt’s 2025 Last Lecture

Dr. Sue Hyatt, Professor Emerita of Anthropology in the School of Liberal Arts, delivered the Last Lecture in the Campus Center theater on Friday, Nov. 7, followed by a reception hosted by the Office of the Provost. Sue’s lecture was a compelling and personal reflection—in the spirit of the Last Lecture—and drew a packed house, likely the largest audience we have had for a Last Lecture. In addition to the strong representation of faculty, staff and students of the IU Indianapolis community and the Senior Academy, the audience included a substantial number of former students and central Indiana community members who were involved with and whose lives were affected by Sue’s work. The success in drawing such a large audience reflected the interest in and impact of Sue’s career in community engaged research, teaching and service. Chancellor Ramchand’s opening remarks and Prof. Khaula Murtadha’s introduction highlighted the importance of Sue’s work and the key role of community engaged research for IU Indianapolis.

(Photos below were taken at IU Indianapolis on Friday, Nov. 7, by Liz Kaye/Indiana University; © 2025 The Trustees of Indiana University)

2026 Last Lecture Nominations Now Open

The nomination website for next year’s Last Lecturer is open on the Honors & Awards page of the Office of the Provost [IU Indianapolis Campus Awards - Last Lecture]. Please forward to anyone who might be interested in nominating a colleague or consider being nominated

Book Club Selections for December & January

All Senior Academy members and guests are welcome and invited to register for either or both the December and January Book Club discussions held on Zoom.

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World Wednesday, Dec. 10 on Zoom, 11 a.m. to noon – Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist, professor, author and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She draws on the wisdom of both indigenous and Western scientific knowledge with the goals of ecological restoration and sustainability. The Book Club will discuss her book The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World that positions the ethic of reciprocity, or gift economies, as a counterpoint to market economies, which she describes as rooted in scarcity, competition and the hoarding of resources. Harvesting serviceberries alongside the birds, Kimmerer describes the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world as an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. Kimmerer explains how serviceberries show us a model “based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.” Marianne Wokeck will lead a discussion of the book. For more information and to receive the Zoom link, register at this link.

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection Wednesday, Jan. 14 on Zoom, 11 a.m. to noon – the Book Club will discuss John Green’s Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection. Green, a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest disease. Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it. In 2019, Green met Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, while traveling with Partners in Health. John became fast friends with Henry. In the years since, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, treatable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing 1.5 million people every year. Jean Robertson will lead a discussion of the book. For more information and to receive the Zoom link, register at this link.

Tour Contemporary Native Art at the Eiteljorg Museum Tour Contemporary Native Art at the Eiteljorg Museum Wednesday, Jan. 21, 11 a.m. to noon – enjoy a private tour for Senior Academy members and guests of the special exhibition Emerging Current at the Eiteljorg Museum. Five groundbreaking Native artists from the U.S. and Canada were chosen for the 2025 round of the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship. Every other year since 1999, the museum has supported a new group of five artists as Eiteljorg Fellows who each have made an impact on the contemporary art world. Emerging Current features an exciting mix of paintings, prints, sculptures, carvings, installations and assemblages. This tour is free for individuals with an Indiana University Crimson Card or an Eiteljorg membership. Otherwise, the cost is the price of admission ($20 for adults, $16 for seniors). The museum provides complimentary parking passes to the White River State Park underground parking garage for visitors. For individuals who would like to further socialize, plan to stay after the tour for lunch in the Eiteljorg Museum Café. The tour is limited to 25 people so please register early at this link.

String Theory Resumes Jan. 13 String Theory Resumes Jan. 13  String Theory is a welcoming group of Senior Academy members, spouses, partners and friends who get together with others and chat while knitting, crocheting or being otherwise creative. The creations of the group are donated to organizations that serve people in need. String Theory meets the second Tuesday of each month, 4:30-6 p.m., except November and December they don’t meet. All skill levels are welcomed and supported, including beginners. No long-term commitment required. The next meeting will occur Tuesday, Jan. 13. Anyone interested is invited to participate. Register at this link to receive the address of the January meeting.

Senior Academy Volunteer Interest Group at Exodus Refugee

Oct. 29, eight Senior Academy members volunteered at Exodus Refugee Immigration on East Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis. Our members have volunteered at this agency every 2-3 months since the fall of 2023. Our volunteers typically work in the warehouse facility sorting and tagging clothing. On this visit, volunteers filled dozens of client kit bags with donated items. Volunteers also broke down boxes and stocked shelves from a large number of recently donated items. As always, we were a very productive crew!

During our project, we also had the opportunity to converse at length with a senior Exodus staff member, who indicated that Exodus is coping well with the current challenges. They continue to serve about 3,000 clients. There is a five-year commitment to support their clients. They serve only immigrants with legal status, including refugees, ones with temporary protected status or who requested asylum. Helping clients secure employment has become more challenging since some employers are now more reluctant to hire them. They have teamed up with Gleaners and have a food pantry to address increasing food shortages. And they have taken measures to increase security for clients and staff at their offices.

Senior Academy members interested in volunteering at Exodus or other nonprofits are encouraged to routinely check the upcoming Events Page on the Senior Academy website for new opportunities. Members can also register their interest in volunteering in the SA Member Directory.  

How to Choose a Senior Living Community & Talk with a Spouse or Parent about Needing to Move

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a hybrid program sponsored by Retire United is available online or in-person at United Way of Central Indiana, 2955 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis. Dave Holder, Certified Senior Advisor, will discuss choosing a senior living community. He will address what types of communities are available, what services they offer and what to look for in choosing a community. He will also provide suggestions on how to have the difficult conversations with a parent or spouse about needing to move. Details and a registration link will be provided on the Senior Academy Events Page once available.

Where is the Economy Headed in 2026?

Wednesday, Feb. 18 on Zoom, noon to 1 p.m., Dr. Cathy Bonser-Neal, Associate Professor of Finance Emerita, IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis, will discuss where the U.S. economy is headed in 2026. Will the economic resilience seen in 2025 persist? This “Economic Outlook” session will give an overview of economic predictions for the U.S. economy, identify policies and risk factors that could impact the economy, and discuss the relevance of different outlook scenarios to personal finance decisions. Registration is available at this link.

Support the Senior Academy

Give Now

For more than 30 years, annual dues and generous gifts from members have enabled us to offer engaging programs and activities for Senior Academy members, as well as significant student support. We appreciate your continued support of the Senior Academy Scholarship and General Funds. To learn more about these funds and to make your year-end gift, please click this link.

Visit the Member Center

You can view the Member Directory, check your dues status, and update your profile, interests, and more via the Senior Academy Member Center. Tip: After logging in with your university username, select Update Your Contact Information to make sure your primary and secondary email addresses are up to date for SA newsletters and event notices.

Get Involved

The Senior Academy Board, committees, and interest groups are behind the programs and activities you’ve read about in this newsletter. We welcome your involvement and would love to hear from you! Contact Christine Fitzpatrick (ude[dot]ui[at]tapztifc) for more information, to share your feedback, and explore your interests.