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Barbara Ihrke: School of Nursing Spotlight

By: Dezaray Barr

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Barbara Ihrke, photo obtained from https://www.indwes.edu/academics/faculty/barbara-ihrke
Barbara Ihrke, photo obtained from https://www.indwes.edu/academics/faculty/barbara-ihrke

Dr. Barbara Ihrke graduated in 1993 from Indiana Wesleyan University with a M.S. in Community Health Nursing, after obtaining her B.S. in 1977 from Crown College in Minnesota. After obtaining her B.S., she worked as a missionary nurse in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1980-1991. While there, she taught in a school of nursing and participated in primary health care projects.

While at Indiana Wesleyan University as a master’s student, Ihrke’s favorite classes were Community Health Nursing taught by Dr. Carol Clark and Epidemiology taught by Dr. Susan Stranahan.

“There was a great group of missionary nurses here,” Ihrke said. “That really was a great community of nurses studying the same material with a real heart for the world.”

Although Ihrke grew up in Minnesota, she spent eleven years oversees in Africa before coming to Indiana Wesleyan University to obtain her Master’s.

After obtaining her M.S., Ihrke received her Ph.D. from Purdue University in 2002.

Ihrke has taught full time at IWU since 1994, and she is currently the Vice President of Academic Affairs of the School of Nursing. According to her faculty bio, her areas of expertise include transcultural nursing, tropical health, gerontology, and nursing informatics.

Last Saturday, January 14, 2017, Ihrke traveled with a group of IWU sophomores who will be studying abroad this semester in Haiti where she will be teaching Transcultural Nursing. She said her favorite thing about this trip is being able to teach the IWU students, but also the students at the nursing school in La Gonave, Haiti.

“I’ve seen over the years how God has really worked at the university,” Ihrke said. “I really like working here.”

 

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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a sophomore Strategic Communication and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. At IWU Dezaray is involved in PRSSA leadership and runs both the JWHC Blog and her own blog. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

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Bethany Kirkwood & Team Tassy

By: Dezaray Barr

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Bethany Kirkwood graduated in 2015 from Indiana Wesleyan University’s Adult Program with a degree in business administration and management and currently serves as a Program Representative as IWU. Kirkwood is currently ‘running across Haiti’ as she hopes to benefit Team Tassy, a featured charity, in the 2017 event “Run Across Haiti” that is scheduled to take place on February 18, 2017.

Kirkwood’s story reads, “When I flew over Haiti in March of 2016, I knew that there was something special about this country. Over the past year, God has been taking me on this journey that has filled my heart with so much love for Haiti! While on this path, I have felt strongly that Haiti is filled with a lot of amazing and capable individuals; but what could I do to help and get involved? It was only natural that I would choose running, and thanks to a supportive husband, family, friends, church and work; I believe I can make a difference through this 230 mile journey. I know it may seem crazy, but God has created this way for me. He has pressed a love for these people so deeply in my soul that I want to do all I can to bring awareness to the beauty that lives in Haiti, and to help our friends break the pattern of poverty. By providing the right education and resources, we can make a difference.”

You can donate to Kirkwood’s fundraiser here: Bethany Kirkwood’s 2017 Run Across Haiti. Thus far, Bethany has 25% of her goal of $4,000 achieved, having raised just over $1,000.

The entire Team Tassy 2017 Run Across Haiti event has raised over $42,000 of their $200,000 goals. You can donate to Team Tassy here: TEAM TASSY.

To learn more about the 2017 Run Across Haiti, visit their site: Team Tassy: Run Across Haiti.

To buy merchandise that will support the fundraiser visit Inksoft Stores.

To watch a live video of Kirkwood’s story, please visit Non-Residential IWU Devotions.

 

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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the Alumni Office. Dezaray is a sophomore Strategic Communication and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. At IWU Dezaray is involved in PRSSA leadership and runs both the JWHC Blog and her own blog. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.