Dr. Drapala joined 91�ֿ� in 2022 to lead its health science degree program, which prepares students for a wide array of in-demand health careers and additional education that is necessary to pursue more intensive medical careers.

“Dr. Drapala is very passionate and energetic in her approach to teaching. Her students describe her as knowledgeable, engaging and supportive,” said Dr. Kathleen Hanold Watland, 91�ֿ� vice president for academic affairs. “Students frequently comment about how much they learned in her classes and how well prepared they are to help others as they move forward in their professions. Dr. Drapala is a shining example of what it means to be an exceptional educator.”

Dr. Drapala’s education includes a Doctor of Chiropractic Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, and a Bachelor of Biology from the University of California-Santa Cruz.

91�ֿ�’s 2023-24 Cyber Warriors, from left to right. Back row: Coach Matt Hansen, Myles Nieman, Tim Bukowski, Zach Hampton, Nick Caulk, John Rudolph; Middle row: Bryce Murphy, Jeremy MacRoberts, Sam Regelbrugge, Tristan Lybarger, Riley Boroff; Front row: Martin Quintana, Garrett Bates, Vanessa Krueger, Peter Allison; Not pictured: Hayden LeFlech

91�ֿ�’s Cyber Warriors, the university’s cyber defense team, completed its Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) season ever over the weekend with a 10th-place finish at the national competition in San Antonio, Texas.

For the small-but-mighty Cyber Warriors, it’s the highest national ranking the squad has ever achieved and it finds itself standing among giants like the University of Texas, the University of Virginia, Brigham Young University, Oregon State University and California State Polytechnic University as the nation’s best.

“I am very proud of our performance at nationals. We started out strong and actually held first place for almost the first three hours of the two-day competition,” said Cyber Warriors coach Matt Hansen. “What hurt us was the fact we had the only roster in the competition with zero experience at the national level. When we return to nationals next year, we will be able to use this experience and the knowledge gained to our strategic advantage.”

Hansen said the Cyber Warriors were commended during the awards ceremony for their tenacity and positive professional attitudes. The director of the competition later followed up with an email to Hansen that echoed the sentiments extolled from the ceremony.

“The director said it was a pleasure working with the Cyber Warriors during the event and that we will always be welcome at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition,” Hansen said. “That the national director went out of his way to tell me how much respect he has for our team makes me very proud.”

Members of this year’s Cyber Warriors team include Peter Allison, Garrett Bates, Riley Boroff, Timothy Bukowski, Nick Caulk, Zach Hampton, Vanessa Krueger, Hayden LaFlech, Tristan Lybarger, Jeremy MacRoberts, Bryce Murphy, Myles Nieman, Martin Quintana, Sam Regelbrugge and John Rudolph. Coach Hansen is an 91�ֿ� alum who was a championship-winning Cyber Warrior himself during his time as a Tech student.

To get to this year’s national competition, the Cyber Warriors won its 10th straight and 17th overall Indiana Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in January. They punched their ticket to San Antonio by winning the Midwest Regional in March, ousting perennial powerhouse and nemesis DePaul University in the process.

“The name we’ve made for ourselves on this stage is astounding, and I’m so proud of this program,” Hansen said. “For next season, our goal is to emerge as the best CCDC team from Indiana and the Midwest and have an even stronger showing at nationals.”

During collegiate cyber defense competitions, teams work to combat attempted network security breaches and related challenges that test their problem-solving, technical abilities and teamwork at every turn.

For five years running, every member of the Cyber Warriors has secured a job in their career field prior to graduating. 91�ֿ� has also established a growing national reputation as a producer of top talent in the cybersecurity field, having recently been recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

This award represents women who:

• Advocate for women and have pioneered change.
• Champion the advancement of women in leadership roles and have been a voice for all women in higher education.
• Are celebrated for providing outstanding leadership to women in their institutions, field of expertise and/or in society at large.
• Are well-known for inspirational, inclusive, innovative work on behalf of women that goes beyond the scope of their formal job descriptions.

“Lisa has brought so many positive changes to our university over the past six years, and I am so happy she is being recognized for her work,” said 91�ֿ� President Karl. W. Einolf, Ph.D. “She is very deserving of this honor.”

The ACE Women’s Network is a national system of networks within each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, with the goal of advancing and supporting women in higher education. Each state network is led by a state chair who works with institutional representatives and at least one presidential sponsor to develop programs that identify, develop, encourage, advance, link and support (IDEALS) women in higher education careers within that state.

The mission of the Indiana’s ACE network is to inspire, develop and support women leaders to transform higher education.

In addition to Military Friendly® status, 91�ֿ� was also recognized as a Top 10-Gold Level institution among graduate programs, placing third among the top ten schools in this category. According to Viqtory, a Top 10-Gold Level designation indicates 91�ֿ� is a “guidon bearer to military/veteran programs and initiatives,” and sets standards for other institutions to follow.

“Receiving this award for the last 13 years shows the dedication that 91�ֿ� has to our military and veteran students. I have the honor of leading a team of professionals who work diligently to make 91�ֿ� the best possible choice for military-connected students. Being among the top 10 graduate programs for several years now is great, and making it into third place this year is even better,” said Ryan Ozbun, associate vice president of Military & Veteran Services at 91�ֿ�. “In addition to continually striving for first place, we have a lot of great opportunities coming our way this year. Everything this team does is to benefit our military students, and we will continue to seek new and better ways to serve them.”

Methodology, criteria and weightings for this designation are determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council, made up of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Viqtory measures each institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

91�ֿ�’s team extends its support to military service members, veterans and military spouses, as well as civilian Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Homeland Security employees.

“This new partnership with Siena Heights University will save students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. valuable time and money by helping them leverage the knowledge gained from their graduate program to achieve their educational goals faster,” said Dr. Kevin Bottomley, assistant professor of Ph.D. and associate dean of the College of Business graduate and Ph.D. programs at 91�ֿ�. “The master’s in leadership programs at Siena Heights are an excellent match for taking the next step into the Ph.D. in Global Leadership at 91�ֿ�. This partnership helps make that transition a seamless one.”

Dr. Angela Dunn, dean of graduate academics and digital education at Siena Heights , emphasizes the shared commitment of both institutions to provide accessible and affordable education geared towards preparing students for successful careers.

“I am thankful for this strategic partnership with 91�ֿ�. At SHU, our faculty are deeply devoted to delivering high-quality, student-centric, and engaging learning experiences. I appreciate that students can seamlessly continue their academic journey in 91�ֿ�’s reputable Ph.D. in Global Leadership program, where faculty uphold parallel values. Together we are shaping the future of leadership education, and empowering individuals to make a profound influence on the global stage,” said Dr. Dunn.

To learn more about 91�ֿ�’s Ph.D. in Global Leadership and the transfer program with Siena Heights University, contact Kristin Conley, director of Ph.D. admissions, 260.422.5561, ext. 3417, or knconley@indianatech.edu.

Dr. Weise (pronounced W-ice) is the author of Long-Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don’t Even Exist Yet (Wiley, 2021). Her book was awarded the 2021 Phillip E. Frandson Award for Literature by UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association), recognizing the author and publisher of an outstanding work of continuing higher education literature. Thinkers50 named her one of 30 management and leadership thinkers in the world to watch in 2021.

Dr. Weise leads Rise & Design, an advisory service tailored for organizations seeking to design education and workforce strategies that will prepare working-age adults for the jobs of today and tomorrow. In this consulting role, she has worked with 91�ֿ�’s leadership, faculty and staff over the past two years, advising their work to develop strategies and tactics for the university to develop best-in-class student support services for students of all ages.

In the past, Dr. Weise has served as vice chancellor of strategy and innovation at National University System, and senior advisor at Imaginable Futures, a venture of The Omidyar Group. She was also the chief innovation officer of Strada Education Network as well as of Southern New Hampshire University. With Clayton Christensen, she coauthored Hire Education: Mastery, Modularization, and the Workforce Revolution (2014) while leading the higher education practice at Christensen’s Institute for Disruptive Innovation.

Her service work includes advising BrightHive, a data collaboration platform, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), the SkillUp Coalition, Basta, Hitch, Bayes Impact, Clayton Christensen Institute Social Capital R&D Project, and World Education’s Personal and Workplace Success Skills Library. She has also served as a commissioner for then-Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, Harvard University’s Task Force on Skills and Employability, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education.

Her commentaries on redesigning higher education and developing more innovative workforce and talent pipeline strategies have been featured in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review and on PBS NewsHour.

Dr. Weise is a former Fulbright Scholar and a graduate of Harvard and Stanford.

91�ֿ� President Dr. Karl Einolf commented, “Dr. Weise is an expert and important leader in the work of higher education to redesign the educational experience to meet the needs of working-age adults. Her work is helping institutions across the country develop more innovative workforce and talent pipeline strategies to better serve workers and industry alike. Her work with 91�ֿ� and other universities is enabling more students to pursue and achieve greater levels of success. All of us at 91�ֿ� are grateful for the impact of her work on the students we serve, and look forward to welcoming her to our commencement celebration in May.”

91�ֿ�’s commencement ceremony is free and open to all 91�ֿ� students, families, alumni and the public. No tickets are required.

Each year, the Women’s Fund conducts its annual Compass Survey to help assess the work being done by area employers to recruit, retain and advance women. This year, nearly 60 regional companies and organizations took part in the research. 91�ֿ� was noted as a top performer in each of the four categories that make up the survey: Leadership, Compensation, Benefits & Policies, and Recruitment & Retention. To learn more about the study, visit .

Julie Hendryx, 91�ֿ�’s director of human resources, commented, “All of us at 91�ֿ� appreciate the work of the Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne to help every employer in our area develop best practices to recruit, retain and advance women. Our participation in the Women’s Fund Compass Survey has challenged us, in a good way, to be an even better place to work for all of our team members. We’re proud to have been named a 2024 Gold Level Compass Award winner, and to receive the inaugural Navigator Award.”

In the top photo: 91�ֿ� Director of Human Resources Julie Hendryx (middle) is with Stephanie Crandle (left) and Women’s Fund Director Cassie Beer.

On Saturday, 91�ֿ�’s women’s track and field won its fourth straight NAIA Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship. 91�ֿ� scored 88 points to win the national title, edging out William Carey (Mississippi), which finished with 79 points. The men’s team finished 14th with 19 points. It was a closely packed bunch of teams as the Warriors were just nine points out of fifth place.

It was 17th time since 2013 an 91�ֿ� track and field team has captured a national title. By winning its fourth straight championship, 91�ֿ� accomplishes something that hasn’t been done on the women’s side in over 20 years. The last school (men or women) to win four straight NAIA championships was, in fact, 91�ֿ�, whose men won the trophy from 2014 to 2017

Lisa Voyles accounted for 22 points for the Warriors, with individual national titles in the mile and 1000, plus a second-place finish in the distance medley relay. Her 1000m win had special significance as she becomes just the seventh female student-athlete in the history of the NAIA to win the same event four years in a row.

In addition to the wins, Voyles picked up a school record in the 1000m (2:46.84) and anchored the DMR squad to another school record (11:48.43). In her collegiate career, Voyles is now an eight-time national champion and a 19-time All-American.

Jamaya Warthen picked up a huge win in the 60 meter dash to earn her first national title. Her lean at the line gave her a win in 7.39, just .006 ahead of the second-place finisher.

For his efforts leading the team, Doug Edgar earned National Coach of the Year honors for the 17th time.

Additional highlights:

• Soyinne Grenyion broke her own school record in the women’s 400m in 53.43 to take second place.
• Krista Boese broke the five-minute barrier in the mile (4:57.29) to earn All-American honors with a sixth-place finish. She became just the third athlete in school history to break 5:00.
• Kiya Pogue ran 8.40 to finish third in the women’s 60 hurdles and earn All-American honors in the event for the third consecutive year.
• Javon Sanders took second in the 60 hurdles in a PR of 6.91 with Ahumad Williams right behind in fourth (6.96).
• Soyinne Grenyion earned second place in the 200m in 23.51. Jamaya Warthen also earned All-American honors with a fourth-place finish.Jo’Deci Irby earned a fourth-place finish in the women’s 600m in a time of 1:32.42.
• Aaron Heisser earned his first All-American honors in the 600m with a seventh-place time of 1:20.48.

We have bolstered our youth programming to provide more innovative, hands-on learning opportunities for area youth. The result is the STEAM Academy, a place where students and parents can find innovative youth programming that will enhance academic and creative strengths in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).

91�ֿ�’s STEAM Academy delivers summer camps and after-school programs in an environment that cultivates our students’ curiosity in STEAM and prepares them for college, career and life.

Learn more and register at . You can also email Academic Camp Director Caleb Hunter at crhunter@indianatech.edu.