Hoosiers for Higher Education

Awards

Sue H. Talbot Distinguished HHE Member Award

Sue H. Talbot was the founding director of Hoosiers for Higher Education, which was established in 1991. Sue was solely responsible for the development and execution of the master plan that created one of the very first university-based grassroots organizations in the country. Due to her unparalleled organizational and leadership skills as well as her indefatigable commitment to creating a model advocacy program, HHE is considered one of the “best practices” government relations programs in America.

Sue’s legacy of service to Indiana University and the state of Indiana is remarkable, and her love for teaching is exemplified in numerous areas. She taught first grade in Bloomington for many years, and she has served as associate director of LEAD (Leadership in Education Administration Development) in the IU School of Education and director of alumni education programs for the IU Alumni Association. The Indiana Teacher of the Year in 1978, Sue served as special assistant for education to Governor Robert Orr, and has served as an elected member of the IU Board of Trustees since 2001. Honors bestowed upon Sue include the IUAA President’s Award, the School of Education Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Gertrude Rich Award, and the Elizabeth Greenleaf Scholarship Award. Twice she has been designated a Sagamore of the Wabash, a special award bestowed by Hoosier governors.

Sue Talbot’s most important commitment is to her family. Sue and her husband, Bob, have three children, Lisa Deinlein, Michelle Creek, and Robert “Bud” Talbot III. All of her children and one granddaughter are IU graduates, and Sue currently has one grandson attending IU. Sue and Bob are very proud of their six grandchildren and spend as much of their “retirement” time as possible with their family.

In honor of Sue’s dedication and commitment in creating Hoosiers for Higher Education, we have established the Sue H. Talbot Distinguished HHE Member Award. This honor is bestowed annually upon an HHE member whose dedication to and volunteer work for HHE exemplifies Sue’s generous spirit and loving support of Indiana University. The recipient of this award is named and honored at HHE’s Annual Statehouse Visit.

2009 Sue H. Talbot Award Recipients: Pat and Ken Shidler

Pat and Ken Shidler retired to Bloomington and are dedicated advocates for Indiana University. Pat graduated with a degree in Home Economics from the College of Arts and Sciences and Ken graduated from the Kelley School of Business with a degree in Marketing.

Ken and Pat's service to IU has been long and illustrious. As lifetime members of the IU Alumni Association, the Shidler's are HHE Community Captains, members of the Board of the Monroe County Chapter of the IUAA, and are Varsity Club Members. Pat has been active in support of the IU Student Foundation's Women's Little 500 and Ken is a Career Counselor for the Kelley School of Business.

Past Award Recipients

• 2008: John E. Sullivan
• 2007: Mel and Molly Johnson
• 2006: Emil “Lucky” Reznik

Award Nominations

Nominate an HHE member for the Sue H. Talbot Distinguished HHE Member Award.

2009 Sue H. Talbot Scholarship Recipient: Heather Schaefer

Heath Schaefer of Lanesville, Indiana, is Kelley School of Business student on the Bloomington campus. Heather is majoring in Marketing with a minor in Psychology. She is actively engaged as the Vice President of Public Relations for the Student Alumni Association and is a Day Host Coordinator for the Kelley Student Ambassador Program. Ms. Schaefer was the 2007 winner of the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Case Competition and is a Deans Scholarship recipient.

Scholarship Nominations

If you would like to nominate yourself or another student for the Sue H. Talbot HHE Volunteer Award Scholarship, please send a resume or curriculum vitae and a short essay (500 words maximum) outlining the nominee’s leadership positions, volunteer activities, and personal characteristics that reflect his or her spirit, dedication, and commitment to Indiana University to
hhe{at}indiana{dot}edu

President Michael A. McRobbie (center) presented the Sue H. Talbot Distinguished HHE Volunteer Award to Community Captains Ken and Pat Shidler (left). Kelley School of Business student Heather Schaefer (second from right) received a scholarship in conjunction with the award. IU Trustee Sue Talbot (right) is the founder of HHE.