A Night to Remember
On September 22, a crowd of 250 Indiana University South Bend supporters turned out decked in their finest for the inaugural Night of the Titans.
As guests arrived at The Armory, they were greeted with cream and crimson flowers, balloons, and décor: a fitting scene for an event that raised more than $25,000 for student scholarships and celebrated seven 2022 Alumni of the Year awardees and the 2022 Chancellor’s Medal recipient. 1st Source Bank was the presenting sponsor.
Chancellor Susan Elrod presented Alfred Guillaume Jr. the 2022 Chancellor’s Medal, the highest honor given by a chancellor to an individual who shows outstanding support of IU South Bend and serves as a role model for students and alumni through their integrity, leadership, and commitment.
It was my pleasure to present this year’s Chancellor’s Medal to Alfred Guillaume, who has been and continues to be a pillar of the IUSB and broader South Bend communities.
- Chancellor Elrod
Guillaume, who served as a professor of French and retired as IU South Bend’s executive vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2013, is a South Bend fixture and engaged community leader. Among the many volunteer activities he’s involved in, he recently spearheaded a successful private fundraising effort to purchase a bronze statue of Harriet Tubman as a gift to the city of South Bend. In his acceptance remarks he reflected on the “public” in public university and IU South Bend’s singular responsibility to include the community as an extended laboratory for effective teaching and learning.
“I call this connection a ‘communiversity,’" he said, highlighting how gratifying it is to see so much community engagement coming to fruition recently, the seeds of which he sowed during his time on campus.
“It’s so rewarding to witness the work [faculty] are doing with their students in transformative civic engagement. They, and many others unnamed this evening, give an indisputably affirmative voice that IU South Bend is the people’s university," Guillaume said. “I am deeply touched and honored. I am forever indebted to the IU South Bend faculty and staff for their support and guidance throughout my tenure.”
“It was my pleasure to present this year’s Chancellor’s Medal to Alfred Guillaume, who has been and continues to be a pillar of the IUSB and broader South Bend communities,” said Chancellor Susan Elrod. “Alfred is a shining example of someone who lives the values of giving back to one’s community.”
2022 Chancellor's Medal Recipient
Alfred Guillaume Jr.
2022 Alumni of the Year
Award Recipients
Andrea Bray, BFA ’14
Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts
Ivy Butler, BS ’09
School of Education
Kristi J. Dunn, BA ’07
IU South Bend Libraries
Aja K. Ellington, BSW ’18, MSW ’21
School of Social Work
Steven Turner, BA ’06
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Rebecca M. Wooster, BS ’20
Vera Z. Dwyer College of Health Sciences
Rudy Yakym III, BS ’11
Judd Leighton School of
Business and Economics
Additionally, the event honored an outstanding graduate from each IU South Bend school and college with an Alumni of the Year Award, given to those alumni chosen for the impact they have on their respective communities and for the characteristics the campus strives to instill within students. The deans or director of each college or school introduced each recipient and presented their award.
During the evening, guests enjoyed a performance from the Euclid Quartet, a chamber music ensemble in residency at the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts since 2007. Attendees closed the evening singing the Indiana University alma mater led by the Euclid Quartet and music faculty member, Emanuel Caraman, MM ’03.
All proceeds from the event support the IUSB Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment Fund. Through events like Night of the Titans, together with our alumni and community supporters, IU South Bend can continue to focus on enhancing our ability to address regional concerns, fuel our economy, and build our quality of place by using our collective talents. Such support plays a key role in helping the campus meet its mission for the betterment of north central Indiana and beyond.
In addition to the event’s Presenting Sponsor 1st Source Bank, IU South Bend thanks Titan Sponsors Indiana Trust Wealth Management and the University of Notre Dame, and Crimson Sponsors Beacon Health System, Goodwill Industries, the Hammes Bookstore at IU South Bend, Kem Krest, and South Bend Orthopaedics.
Keep an eye out for the 2nd annual Night of the Titans on Tuesday, September 19, 2023