Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association

Reaching Out

An e-Newsletter by the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association


Summer!
June, 2015
In This Issue
Connect with us!

   

 

 

 

   

   

Herman B Wells Sculpture
             

 

 

June 7 is Dr. Wells' birthday. Of his countless contributions to our university and beyond, we remain grateful to Dr. Wells for teaching us the benefits of diversity many years before it became fashionable to do so, for being in the forefront of racial integration, and for speaking for those without a voice.

 

The GLBTAA Board extends the very best wishes to you and your families for a safe and enjoyable summer. We hope to see many of you in downtown Indy on June 13 for the Circle City IN Pride Parade, one of the nation's spectacular LGBT celebrations!  

 

        Mike Shumate, Past President

[email protected] 

  

 1. Member Profile

 

 

Ryan W. Scott

 

When he first interviewed for a position on the faculty at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, Professor Ryan W. Scott had never set foot in Indiana. A native of Minnesota and a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, he admits to some divided loyalties when he arrived on campus. "The first time I watched the Gophers play at Assembly Hall," he says, "I didn't know when to cheer." But eight years later, he considers himself a Hoosier through and through. "I've fallen in love with this place. It's an extraordinary faculty and a first-rate university, and I count myself very lucky to be here."

 

Before joining the law faculty, Professor Scott criss-crossed the country working in some of the nation's premiere litigation shops. In Salt Lake City, Utah, he clerked for Judge Michael W. McConnell of the United States Court of Appeals. In Washington, D.C., he joined the U.S. Justice Department as a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the Solicitor General. He has also worked for large law firms in Chicago and Washington, including a two-year stint as an associate in the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group at O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

In the Maurer Classroom

 

Since then, however, he has found a home at IU, where he is entering his seventh year as a professor. He teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, and federal courts, and much of his research centers on criminal sentencing and separation-of-powers questions concerning the federal judiciary. This spring, he was thrilled to learn that the University's Board of Trustees voted to approve his tenure and promotion to full professor. That decision came on the heels of equally exciting personal news: Professor Scott and his boyfriend Cameron Bryan, an IU alum and Bloomington native, announced that they are engaged to be married.

 

Professor Scott finds it particularly rewarding to serve as faculty advisor to Outlaw, the law school's LGBT student group, and as a liaison to the law school's LGBT Alumni Board. He explains: "I was a student when the Court decided Lawrence v. Texas, and our student group helped persuade the faculty to join a constitutional challenge to military recruiting on campus during 'don't ask, don't tell.' Today, the issues are different-marriage equality, protections for transgender people-but student activism and involvement are still critically important."

 

Off campus, Professor Scott co-chairs a committee of the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association focused on LGBT issues. In that capacity, he was instrumental in advancing a resolution, formally adopted last year by the ABA, that condemns the so-called "gay panic" and "trans panic" defenses and calls for legislative reform. Last fall, California became the first state in the nation to enact laws designed to eliminate those defenses, and similar bills are under consideration in three other states. "That's the best part of working at Indiana," he says. "I get to teach remarkable students while still doing the kind of work that makes a difference."

 

Some Maurer Outlaws
2.  IUPUI Lavender Graduation 
 

 

Chancellor Bantz at 2014 Lavender Graduation

 

IUPUI hosted its third annual Lavender Graduation Ceremony on May 1 in the Atrium of the IU Health Information and Translational Sciences Building in Indianapolis. The event was hosted by the IUPUI LGBT Faculty Staff Council with support from the LGBTQ Student Alliance, School of Medicine Gay Straight Medical Alliance, and Lambda Law Society of IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

 

The graduates and their friends and family were welcomed by IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz and Anthony Masseria, Chair of the IUPUI LGBT Faculty Staff Council.

 

IU GLBTAA Vice President Tim Lemper offered his congratulations to the graduates and spoke to them about the GLBTAA's activities, including its membership drive and scholarship campaign. He encouraged the graduates to remain connected to IU and to continue supporting IU's LGBT community as alumni by joining the GLBTAA.

 

In his keynote address, Dr. Alvaro Tori, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Assistant Dean of Diversity Affairs at the School of Medicine, shared a story from his own experiences as a gay man growing up in Lima, Peru and his journey to the United States with his husband and children. He spoke of the graduates' contributions to the welcoming environment at IUPUI and congratulated them for their achievements.

 

Following Dr. Tori's remarks, each graduate was introduced by Masseria and received a certificate from Chancellor Bantz.

 


 

 3. GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign

  

Please continue to "spread the word" about our ground-breaking Campaign, which will help to endow our GLBTAA Scholarship Program. We awarded eight academic scholarships for the 2015 spring semester. Each recipient will be featured in one of our Newsletters. One is covered in paragraph # 7 below. After reviewing another heart-breaking story, we also awarded emergency funds to an IUB student. Since 2005, we have granted 57 scholarships (44 academic scholarships and 13 emergency scholarships) to IU students. Because of your generous support, we will be able to continue providing scholarships well into the future.      

Ethan L. Jackson, a two-time academic scholarship recipient, has commented, "I am immensely grateful to have received the IU GLBT Alumni Association Scholarship. This wonderful opportunity has allowed me to spend more time on my academics and friendships and less time worrying about funding my education. Now that I have graduated, I will take what I have learned at IU with me into the field of higher education and student affairs."  Ethan has just graduated from the Kelley School of Business in Bloomington, with a degree in Legal Studies and a minor in Gender Studies, with possible aspirations to pursue a Master's in Student Affairs and Higher Education. 


 

Here is a recent article appearing in The Chronicle of Higher EducationThe article focuses on our emergency grants but also mentions our Campaign. The Chronicle gave us coverage the day we launched our Campaign, and it's gratifying that it continues to focus on our good work and our welcoming environment at IU.

 

Contributions can be made online at Campaign Contributions If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Mike Shumate at [email protected]  or 858-922-6105; or IUAA Alumni Relations Officer Clarence Boone at 800-824-3044. Again, heartfelt gratitude to everyone for supporting our Campaign.

 

THANK YOU, IU alumni, faculty, staff, students, allies and our many friends!

 4. Student Member Note 

 

Josh Bruce, a former GLBTAA academic scholarship recipient, is currently a visiting doctoral fellow at the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences, in Germany. While at IU, Josh was involved in the founding of Out @ Kelley and reviving the Political Science Undergraduate Advisory Board. Since completing his BA, with honors, in political science in 2012 from IU Bloomington, Josh has earned an MA in social science from the University of Chicago, and is currently pursuing a PhD in sociology at Duke University. His research focuses on morality and ethics, and their role in economic activity and organizational structure. While in Bremen, Josh is doing research on the role worldviews play in public policy decision making. He would like to say how continually grateful he is for the love and support of his friends and family, and for the inspiring education he received at Indiana University, which made all of these things possible 

5. Circle City IN Pride

 

The Circle City IN Pride Parade will be held on Saturday, June 13, starting at 10:00 a.m. The GLBTAA once again will have a booth to welcome all who wish to share in the celebration of this spectacular parade and related activities. We will also be spreading the word about IU being one of the top 50 LGBT-friendly universities and colleges in the nation. Hope to see you downtown Indy on June 13! The entire preceding week is full of fun LGBT-related events.  For more information, please see:  http://www.circlecityinpride.org/

 

 

6. Facebook

 

The GLBTAA has had a Facebook page for some time now, but some of you may not be aware of it.  If you haven't already done so, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/iuglbtaa.  "Like" our page and follow our Facebook posts regarding news, updates and information about our events.

 

Like us on Facebook

7. Academic Scholarship Recipient 

 

CONGRATULATIONS are extended to Tyler S. Neal, one of our 2015 Spring Academic Scholarship recipients! Tyler is a junior at IUB majoring in French, with a minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. He has aspirations to work internationally, possibly becoming involved with environmental health issues for developing countries. He is currently a member of the IU LGBT Speaker's Bureau, where he shares his experiences growing up as a gay member of society and facing the obstacles young people encounter. He was very involved with Freedom Indiana, serving as an intern for IU and the Bloomington area, where, among other services, he volunteered over 200 hours of phone banking. Tyler reflects on his internship experience, "From this experience I helped inspire people to fight and stand up for the rights of others and to help Indiana become a more hospitable state for the LGBT community." We're proud of you, Tyler!   

 

8. GLBTAA Scholarships

 

GLBTAA Academic Scholarships  Academic Scholarships are awarded to IU students enrolled at any IU campus, who are academically strong, as well as active in promoting diversity, tolerance and social justice. Scholarships are awarded to students based upon academic achievement, career goals, financial need, leadership experience, community service and extracurricular activities. Involvement in activities promoting diversity and raising awareness of GLBT and related issues on the student's campus or in his or her community is carefully reviewed by the Board. The maximum award for an Academic Scholarship is $1,000 per semester. An individual student may not receive more than $2,000. The deadline for the Spring 2016 semester is November 15, 2015.

  

IU GLBTAA Emergency Scholarships
Emergency Scholarships are awarded to those students who experience the loss of financial support when they make the courageous decision to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to their families. Emergency Scholarships help to ensure that students need not choose between their education at IU and living life openly and honestly. Emergency Scholarships are awarded to students attending any IU campus. The maximum award for an Emergency Scholarship is $1,500 per semester, and a student may not receive more than $3,000.
  
You can learn more about the GLBTAA Scholarship Program and apply online at: http://alumni.indiana.edu/affiliates/glbt/supporting-community/scholarships.html

 

9. Membership

 

Encourage your friends to join the GLBTAA. They can visit our website here  and join.  There are no membership dues, and you do not have to be a member of the IUAA, or an IU degree-holder. We are approaching 1,600 members nation-wide, and we're growing! We appreciate your continued commitment! It is because of you that the GLBTAA is in existence, continues to grow and continues to serve our important mission on all eight of IU's campuses. If you are a member and wish to continue receiving our e-Newsletters, please make sure we have a current e-mail address for you.   You can visit https://alumni.indiana.edu/my-iu/index.html to see if your official record, including your e-mail address, is current.  Thank you for your support through your membership. We look forward to serving you now and in the years to come. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Clarence Boone, Alumni Relations Officer, at: [email protected] or Mike Shumate at [email protected] .

 

If not already a member, please consider joining the IUAA by visiting https://alumni.indiana.edu/membership/index.html, by [email protected]  or calling (800) 824-3044. By joining the IUAA, among many other things, you help fund the various GLBTAA programs, along with gaining access to IUAA member-only events.

 

If you would like to unsubscribe and terminate future communications from the GLBTAA, please respond to:  [email protected].