Kate Hevner Mueller served Indiana University from 1937 to 1969 as Dean of Women, Senior Counselor for Women, and Professor of Education. Dr. Mueller was a national pioneer for women professionals and developed the Master’s Program in College Student Personnel (Higher Education and Student Affairs) at Indiana University in the early 1950s. The Kate Hevner Mueller Senior Awards were established in 2013 to honor IU seniors who have proven leadership on campus both inside and outside of the classroom and who have improved the IU community by their presence.
This year, Indiana University has selected 28 outstanding recipients for the Kate Hevner Mueller Outstanding Senior Award. In this article, we congratulate Ayla Winegar for her ability to represent Dr. Mueller’s essential goals of the university: to promote intellect, develop personality, and inspire citizenship and leadership to all students.
Ayla Winegar
Ayla will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the College of Arts and Sciences. She served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and worked with postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Heidi Vuletich in Dr. Amanda Diekman’s Social Roles Laboratory to complete her honors thesis. Ayla served as part of the leadership team for the United Council for Equity, focused on creating a campus environment that is more welcoming and supportive of minority students. She also served as the President of Culture of Care, which coordinates advocacy efforts focusing on physical and mental wellbeing of students.
Ayla found inspiration and support from mentors and her parents. When asked to share these special acknowledgements, she said:
“Thank you to my parents for being a loving and comforting support system; I will be forever grateful for your enthusiasm in encouraging me to find my own way through the world. Thank you to my mentors: Dr. Carmen Henne-Ochoa, Dr. Heidi Vuletich, and Dr. Amanda Diekman. You have all helped me to realize my full potential, and have been incredibly instrumental in my growth of confidence as a young professional, researcher, and woman. All of you continue to inspire me.”
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