Lisa Ruch, chapter advisor of Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) and Phi Eta Sigma (PES) honor society at IUPUI, has recently been recognized by having a scholarship from PES named in her honor. Ruch joined the IUPUI community in 1985 as an academic advisor and has been actively working with students ever since. She took over as the chapter advisor of ALDPES in 1998. Along with her work at IUPUI, Ruch served on the national board of ALD for 13 years and is currently serving on the national board of PES.
At the PES national conference in Birmingham, Alabama, in October of 2022, the Lisa Ruch Founders Fund Scholarship Award was presented in Ruch’s honor. Brianna Reagan, a senior at IUPUI who serves as a student advisor for the chapter, attended the conference. Reagan expressed that Ruch, who was unaware of the scholarship until the event, was very surprised when she was recognized, but that she was truly deserving of the award.
"Lisa’s been a part of these groups for over 20 years,” Reagan said. “Not only has she been a board member for PES and a board member for ALD, but she’s been a really good advisor for our chapter, as well as spending so much time with so many individuals. She makes sure that she knows each and every one of us. She has definitely put the time and work in it that she deserves the award."
Reagan received a scholarship from Phi Eta Sigma this year and is now among the many IUPUI students who have been awarded scholarships from ALDPES.
"We have a lot of students win national scholarships from both Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma,” Ruch said. “We’ve won around half a million dollars in national scholarships, and one of our members has won the top scholarship from Phi Eta Sigma of $10,000. We’ve had many years where our chapter won more scholarships than any other chapter in the country.
Ayesha Saeed, a junior serving as another student advisor for the chapter, explained that Ruch works closely with the students to plan and organize events, but also supports her students in academic and personal aspects.
"Lisa is the kind of person that puts everything and everyone before herself,” Saeed said. “She does so much for the organization that sometimes people don’t appreciate it. When she got this award, she didn’t even realize she was getting it. I think she deserves it more than anyone else because she’s driven to accomplish things, but she doesn’t ever want to receive anything back.”
Anum Ansar, a sophomore at IUPUI and the current chapter president, expressed that without the impact that Ruch had on her, she would not have applied for a leadership position in ALDPES. Ansar described the welcoming environment that she felt from Ruch, even upon first meeting her at the initiation ceremony.
“I don’t think we would be what we are as an organization without Lisa,” Ansar said. “She is the backbone of ALDPES, and I was not surprised at all that she got an award.”
Kristy Sheeler, dean of the Honors College, referenced the large number of scholarships that IUPUI students have received with help from Ruch, along with the many national recognitions the chapter has received. “Lisa Ruch has been an incredible supporter of Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies and our students for many years,” Sheeler said.
“She has served on the executive leadership board for each of the societies, mentored thousands of students, and generously given of her time and creativity as an advisor. This recognition ensures that Lisa’s contributions will remain visible each year the scholarship is awarded.”
Ruch said that she found taking on the advisor role at IUPUI to be so valuable due to the relationships that she was able to build with the students she advised and fostering those relationships that students in ALDPES found through the organization.
“I really view it as a privilege as well as a responsibility to have an impact on students’ lives and make a difference,” Ruch said. “To help them not just with academics, but really become a whole person involved in service and making new friends and leadership roles on campus.”
Lisa Ruch continues to serve as the chapter advisor for ALDPES and helping students succeed and find community on campus.
For more information, contact the Division of Undergraduate Education Office of Communications at duecomm@iu.edu.