News Archive
Martha Hoover, '80, to Address IU McKinney Graduates at Commencement Ceremonies May 9
04/10/2019
Acclaimed entrepreneur and restaurateur Martha Hoover, '80, founder and president of Patachou, Inc., will deliver the commencement address during IU McKinney's graduation ceremony on May 9. The proceedings will begin at 6 p.m. in the Sagamore Ballroom at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
Hoover began her restaurant career after first working as a sex crimes prosecutor in Indianapolis. Her collection of restaurants includes Café Patachou, Petite Chou Bistro, Napolese Pizzeria, Public Greens Urban Kitchen, and Bar One Fourteen. She created The Patachou Foundation in 2013 to feed healthy meals to food insecure children in Indianapolis. To date, the foundation has served over 100,000 such meals to children who live with pervasive food insecurity.
In 2019, Hoover was again nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award's Best Restaurateur honor. She has been in the running for this honor in 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2013. Food and Wine named her “One of The Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink”; Eater named her “Empire Builder of the Year,” and Vogue Magazine profiled her and the company for their sustainability practices. Additionally, she won a Centric Excellence in Innovation Award and the My Domaine Womaneer Award, and Café Patachou was named one of Restaurant Hospitality’s Top 25 Coolest Concepts. Hoover also serves on IU McKinney's Board of Visitors.
IU McKinney students selected speakers to represent various graduating classes during the commencement ceremony. The full-time J.D. division speaker will be Katie Dickey. The part-time J.D. division speaker will be Marcel DuPlantier. The Master of Laws speaker will be Olga Bratuhina. The Master of Jurisprudence speaker will be Aaron Coleman.
The students also selected the following professors for the graduation hooding ceremony:
J.D. hooding professors will be Professor Frank Sullivan, Professor Lahny Silva, Professor Carrie Hagan, and Professor Tom Wilson.
LL.M. hooding professors will be Professor Frank Sullivan, and Professor Tom Wilson.
M.J. hooding professors will be Professor Robert Brookins, and Professor Allison Martin.
