Top Stories
2010
> Top Stories by Subject: Alumni | Faculty | Students | Staff | Speakers
| New Program Engages Diversity at Illinois Wesleyan (Aug. 24) A new Engaging Diversity Program offered first-year students the opportunity to have open conversations about race and identity, learning "being color blind is not the answer." |  |
| "No Impact Man" Inspires No Impact Week on Campus (Aug. 24) Illinois Wesleyan will follow a visit from No Impact Man author Colin Beavan, who will speak at the Sept. 8 President's Convocation, with the campus community's own No Impact Experiment. |  |
| Student Habitat Group Named Chapter of the Year (Aug. 24) Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State Universities’ joint student chapter of Habitat for Humanity will receive the 2010 Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter of the Year award. |  |
| Nadeau Named to New Endowed Professorship (Aug. 20) Professor and Chair of Hispanic Studies Carolyn Nadeau will be the inaugural Byron S. Tucci Professor, an endowed professorship established as part of the University's Transforming Lives campaign. |  |
| Library Staff Member Wins Starkey Service Award (Aug. 20) Tony Heaton, document delivery and copyright coordinator at The Ames Library, was recognized for extraordinary service to the University. |  |
| Program Promotes Long-term Wellness (Aug. 19) The Wellness Program offers life-enhancing opportunities for the Illinois Wesleyan community, where its activities and services have been promoting all aspects of wellness for 20 years. |  |
| Class of 2014 Told to Find Their Inner Bookworm (Aug. 18) As new students arrived for a week of orientation activities, they were urged during the New Student Convocation to re-imagine reading in "slow time" to better digest new ideas. |  |
| Blue Moon Coffeehouse Takes Hiatus (Aug. 17) After 18 years of providing Illinois Wesleyan University and the Bloomington-Normal community with an intimate setting to listen to live acoustic music, the Blue Moon Coffeehouse is taking a hiatus. |  |
| No Impact Man Comes to Campus (Aug. 12) As the campus community reads Colin Beavan's No Impact Man for its annual Summer Reading Program, students, faculty and staff will be challenged to live out the lifestyle after hearing the author speak in September. |  |
| Student Wins Community Partnership Grant (Aug. 11) Kristy Hosack '11 won a grant from the University's Action Resource Center and State Farm Insurance, which she will use to support outreach efforts for Illinois Wesleyan's "Radio Latino" program on the campus radio station. |  |
| Alumna Receives Colby Award (Aug. 11) Sigma Kappa Sorority recognized Nancy Brown Bicket '67 with its Colby Award, the national sorority's highest honor given to nationally-known alumnae in recognition of their career achievements. |  |
| Faculty, Administrator to Retire (Aug. 9) Four faculty members and one administrative staff member are retiring from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2010. |  |
| Professors Seek Beauty, Truth in Translated Works (Aug. 4) Even the best translations are an approximation of the beauty and meaning of the original, but they open the door to great literature and the exploration of other cultures, say Illinois Wesleyan faculty members. |  |
| Graduate Joins Cross-Country Bike Ride Against AIDS (Aug. 4) After graduating in May, Kirsten Pufahl began a 67-day, 4,000-mile bicycle journey across the United States as part of the FACE AIDS Ride Against AIDS 2010 campaign. |  |
| Students Rethink Fraternity-Sorority Life at Leadership Institute (Aug. 1) Four students gained inspiration to revisit Greek values and lead by example while attending the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute this summer. |  |
| Alumna Named Alpha Kappa Alpha Director (July 29) Gisele Casanova '82 was appointed the Central Regional Director for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, an international service organization. |  |
| Wesleyan Welcomes National Merit Scholars (July 21) Eight incoming first-year students in Illinois Wesleyan's class of 2014 are National Merit Scholars, recognized for their exceptional academic ability. |  |
| Childcare Facility for IWU Families to Open (July 21) Rogy’s Learning Place is set to open this fall, targeting the children of employees, faculty and staff of Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan University. |  |
| Alumna Receives Fulbright Award (July 20) Lauren Ostrowski '05 has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship. She will teach English part-time while continuing her graduate studies in Madrid. |  |
| Wesleyan Provost Named AAPT Executive Officer (July 16) Beth Cunningham, provost and dean of faculty at Illinois Wesleyan, has accepted the position of executive officer at the American Association of Physics Teachers in College Park, Md. |  |
| Alumnus Honored for Leadership (July 12) Charles Hawker '62 received the John V. Bergen Award from the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing standards and guidelines for the health care and medical testing community. |  |
| Wayne Messmer Recognized for Lifetime of Excellence (July 7) Wayne Messmer '72, known as "The Voice of Wrigley Field," received the Signature Sinfonian award from the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity for men. |  |
| Recent Graduate Earns Prestigious Dunn Fellowship (July 1) Charlie Sell '10 has been admitted into the prestigious James H. Dunn Memorial Fellowship Program, and is the second consecutive Wesleyan grad to land the program's coveted Washington, D.C. slot. |  |
| Ross Named Director of Multicultural Student Affairs (July 1) Roshaunda Ross has been named director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at Illinois Wesleyan University, after serving as interim director for the past year. |  |
| Summer Enrichment Program Opens Doors to Success |  |
| Alumni Forge Careers in Emerging Media (June 24) Social media marketing is a field that didn’t exist 10 years ago, but that hasn't stopped some Illinois Wesleyan alumni from making the Internet and e-communications an integral part of their careers. |  |
| Students Take Poetry Off the Page |  |
| Graduate Makes International Opera Debut (June 9) Sarah Sipll '01, an elementary music teacher in the Chicago area, won a competition to perform opera in Mexico, where she received rave reviews. |  |
| Betz Named Registrar (June 8) Leslie Betz '93, currently associate dean of the graduate school at Bradley University in Peoria, will return to her alma mater as Illinois Wesleyan's new Registrar. |  |
| Alumnus Competes in U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (June 7) Although he later missed the cut after two rounds, Bennett Blakeman '09 proved the "open" in U.S. Open by qualifying as an amateur to compete among the world's elite golfers. |  |
| Alumnus Honored for Book (June 1) Eric Gardner '89 has won a prize recognizing his book, Unexpected Places: Relocating Nineteenth-Century African American Literature, as the best scholarly monograph on American periodicals published in the past three years. |  |
| Argus Issues Available in Searchable Database (May 26) A new interface for The Argus Digital Collection offers fully searchable issues of Illinois Wesleyan's student newspaper back to 1894. |  |
| New Chemistry Graduate Receives NSF Fellowship (May 24) Jennifer Faust '10 has received a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, supporting her pursuit of a doctorate in physical chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. |  |
| Alumni Elected to Board of Trustees (May 18) The Illinois Wesleyan University Board of Trustees elected several alumni to board positions and a slate of officers at its May meeting. |  |
| Chicago Fed Leader: Economy is Recovering (May 14) Speaking to business and community leaders assembled at Illinois Wesleyan, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said he thinks the country has "turned the corner" on the recession. |  |
| Professor Publishes Statistics Textbook (May 11) Dissatisfied with textbooks available for his statistics courses, Illinois Wesleyan's Robert Leekley distilled decades of teaching into a text now released for larger audiences. |  |
| Students to Volunteer in Community (May 6) Students will help area alumni with household projects during the Annual May Term Titan-2-Titan Volunteer Day this Saturday. |  |
| Class of 2010 Celebrates Lifelong Learning (May 2) Graduates in the Class of 2010 were encouraged to build on their Illinois Wesleyan foundation and enjoy the thrill of lifelong learning. |  |
| Alumnus Honored for Excellence in Research (April 29) Eric Gardner '89 received the 2010 Earl L. Warrick Award for Excellence in Research from Saginaw Valley State University, where he is a professor of English. |  |
| Students and Alumni Named to Community's 25 Under 25 (April 28) As part of Global Youth Service Day, six Illinois Wesleyan University students and two alumni have been recognized among 25 Under 25 in McLean County. |  |
| Biology Graduate Creating Bridges to Conservation (April 28) Jeffrey Klemens '98 is working to make conservation research in Costa Rica accessible and understandable, so the luxury of a national park can prove useful for its citizens. |  |
| Ceramics, Painting on Display in Art Galleries (April 27) The ceramics of Michael Schwegmann and the paintings of alumna Kay Seefeld will be displayed in the Merwin and Wakeley Galleries from May 5-26. |  |
| Students Help Children, Elderly in Jamaica (April 27) Students from the campus group Death, Resurrection, Life (DRL) traveled to Kingston, Jamaica, to volunteer at the Salvation Army School for the Blind during their spring break. |  |
| Seniors Honored for Leadership, Service (April 27) Five Illinois Wesleyan University seniors were recognized for their leadership and service to the campus and community at the annual senior dinner. |  |
| Residential Life Staff Eases Transition to College Life (April 26) From desk aides to multicultural educators, students working for the Office of Residential Life help make residence halls a home away from home. |  |
| Two New Endowment Funds Support School of Nursing (April 20) As the University celebrated the 50th anniversary of its nursing degree program, two new endowment funds supporting the School of Nursing were announced, as part of Transforming Lives: The Campaign for Illinois Wesleyan. |  |
| New Financial Aid Law Requires All Students With Loans To Resubmit Note (April 22) New national federal aid legislation will alter who can create new loans for college students, but in many ways the process will be simpler for borrowers, according to Wesleyan's Director of Financial Aid Scott Seibring. |  |
| History Major Wins Research Strategies Award (April 19) Samantha Geib '12 won the second annual Artistic and Scholarly Research Strategies Award from The Ames Library for her research on "The Boston Molasses Disaster." |  |
| Courtroom Drama: Theatre Alumna Practices Law (April 19) After earning her degree in theatre performance from Illinois Wesleyan in 1993, Samantha Glaudel went on to law school, and finds she draws on her theatre background in her work as an attorney. |  |
| Travel Courses Teach Business Abroad (April 19) Students taking one-month travel courses can gain insight into business practices in other countries in the continuous learning environment of another culture. |  |
| Senior Wins Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship (April 16) Chemistry major Jennifer Faust '10 has been awarded a 2009 Fellowship from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, which she will use toward graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. |  |
| Moffitt Named Outstanding Marketing Student (April 16) International business and Hispanic Studies double major Shannon Moffitt '10 has been named Illinois Wesleyan's Outstanding Marketing Student by the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Marketing Association |  |
| Santos Wins Technos International Prize (April 15) International studies and sociology double major Janelle Santos '10 received the Technos International Prize through the Tanaka Ikueikai Educational Trust in Japan, honoring her commitment to improving international relations. |  |
| Junior to Receive Scholarship From Risk and Insurance Management Society (April 15) Risk management and economics double major Dennis Zic '11 was awarded a scholarship from the Mid-Illinois Chapter of Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. |  |
| Chapman Explores Happiness at Honors Convocation (April 14) Teaching award winner Wes Chapman explored the meaning of happiness and its place in the liberal arts during his Honors Convocation address. |  |
| Documentary Traces Alumna's Struggle to Shed Light on Environmental Links to Cancer (April 13) Sandra Steingraber, a 1981 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan, tells the story of her personal struggle to uncover environmental causes of cancer in a new release of her book, Living Downstream, and a documentary by the same name. |  |
| Student Takes Seat on County Board (April 8) Political science major Scott Black, who will graduate in May, is putting his passion for serving the community into practice as a newly appointed member of the McLean County Board. |  |
| Faculty Member Honored by Marketing Management Association (April 6) In recognition of his scholarly contributions to the marketing discipline, Associate Professor of Business Administration Fred Hoyt has been named the 2010 Fellow of the Marketing Management Association. |  |
| Alumna Selected for Library Leadership Program (April 5) Lauren Jensen '05 is one of 30 Illinois librarians selected to participate in Synergy: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative, a year-long program designed to develop future leaders in the library profession and in the Illinois community. |  |
| Writing Center Assists Students With Assignments (April 1) Tutors at Illinois Wesleyan's Writing Center are available to coach students on every step of their writing assignments, from narrowing a topic to polishing a rough draft. |  |
| Neurosurgeon Ann Stroink '76 To Address Commencement (March 31) Neurosurgeon Ann Stroink will discuss "Cerebral Plasticity: Lifelong Learning" in her address at the 2010 Commencement. |  |
| Junior Selected for Internship With National Opinion Research Center (March 31) Junior Jennifer Biess has been selected as one of four undergraduate students to participate in the Summer Internship Program at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. |  |
| Book Explores Health Care Debate (March 31) A forthcoming book by Wesleyan's Greg Shaw explores the longstanding, continuing debate over the role of U.S. government in health care. |  |
| School of Theatre Arts Presents Passion (March 30) In the last main-stage performance of the semester, the Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical Passion will be staged at McPherson Theatre through April 11. |  |
| Seniors' Artwork on Display (March 29) Graduating art majors and minors will exhibit their work at the Merwin & Wakeley Galleries through April 20, with an awards ceremony as part of the John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference on April 10. |  |
| Chemistry Major to Present Research to Congress (March 29) Senior chemistry major Scott Krabbe will present his work to members of Congress at the Posters on the Hill event in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research. |  |
| Annual Conference Highlights Student Research (March 24) Student research, musical talents and artistic endeavors will be showcased at the John Wesley Powell Research Conference. |  |
| Wesleyan's Frick Named Vice President at St. Norbert College (March 22) Jeffrey A. Frick, Illinois Wesleyan University’s associate provost for academic services, has been named dean and academic vice president at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. |  |
| Economic Downturn a 'Teaching Moment' (March 18) Faculty are finding a silver lining in current financial woes, as once-abstract economic concepts gain all-too-relevant frames of reference outside the classroom. |  |
| Expo: How to Live Well & Live Green (March 17) The Illinois Sustainable Living & Wellness Expo will bring workshops, food demonstrations, music, dance, art and more to campus on April 10. |  |
| May Term Travel Courses Offer Vivid Classrooms (March 16) Whether students are witnessing a rainforest ecosystem or seeing Michelangelo's David firsthand, faculty find that travel affords a teaching tool like no other. Illinois Wesleyan's May Term offers a variety of these opportunities. |  |
| Alumna Receives Optometry Scholarship (March 12) Lindsay Sicks '06 was awarded one of five scholarships given to optometry students nationwide. Sicks was nominated by faculty at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, where she will graduate with a doctorate in May. |  |
| Students to Help Flood Victims on Alternative Spring Break (March 10) Students, staff and faculty volunteers will spend Spring Break in Atlanta, Ga., to help with ongoing disaster relief from the 2009 flooding. |  |
| Nursing Alumna Honored with Gale Keeran Spirit of Success Award (March 10) School of Nursing alumna Barbara Nathan received the 2010 Gale Keeran Spirit of Success Award at the annual Women’s Health Night in Bloomington. |  |
| Wesleyana Memories to Return for New Generation (March 9) After a 10-year hiatus, students are launching a return of the Wesleyana yearbook |  |
| Alumnus Bill Brady Wins GOP Primary Race for Governor (March 5 Chicago Tribune report) After the primary vote count was certified, Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard conceded defeat to state Sen. Bill Brady, a 1983 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan, who will face Gov. Pat Quinn in the fall election. |  |
| Students Celebrate Bulgarian Tradition of Spring (March 4) The Bulgarian tradition of the martenitsa is being observed by international students at Illinois Wesleyan, who will wear the colorful adornments until they see their first sign of spring. |  |
| Alumni Mark Celebration for 50th Anniversary at School of Nursing (March 4) Illinois Wesleyan will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its four-year nursing degree program with a day of events on Saturday, April 17. |  |
| Virtual Worlds Offer a 'Sandbox' for Learning – and Earning (March 3) Online communities that form in computer-generated realities provide new fields for studying people and practicing commerce, a Wesleyan professor says. |  |
| Grant Supports Tutoring-Mentoring Partnership (March 3) Illinois Wesleyan's Educational Studies Department received a $25,000 grant to support its Promise and Potential program, which pairs University students as tutors and mentors with students at Bloomington Junior High School. |  |
| Students Selected to Study at Oxford (March 2) Sophomores Jennifer Ceisel and Amanda Williams have been selected to study at Oxford University through Illinois Wesleyan’s Pembroke Program. |  |
| Author to Offer Tips on Getting a Job in a Bad Economy (March 2) Bestselling author, speaker and consultant Lindsey Pollak will offer tips on finding employment in tough times with a talk, “Getting from College to Career: How to Get a Good Job in a Bad Economy.” |  |
| Student Newspaper Honored by Illinois College Press Association (March 2) Illinois Wesleyan University’s student-run newspaper, The Argus, garnered 11 awards at the recent Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) convention in Chicago. |  |
| Service Award Established in Honor of Alumna (March 1) The sorority Zeta Phi Beta will name a community service award in honor of the late Monica Taylor, a 1988 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan and former director of Multicultural Affairs at the University. |  |
| Senior Named Outstanding Marketing Student (Feb. 23) Business Administration major Rose Richardson was named the University’s Outstanding Marketing Student by the St. Louis chapter of the American Marketing Association. | |
| Action Research Center Initiative Wins $100,000 Grant (Feb. 22) A grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board will support a new joint initiative aimed at cultivating the creativity of low-income, minority youth in the community. |  |
| Sorority to Raise Funds for Child Welfare Agencies (Feb. 22) The Kappa Delta sorority's annual Shamrock Project will raise money for Prevent Child Abuse America and The Baby Fold. |  |
| Honor Society Recognized for Web Site (Feb. 22) The Illinois Wesleyan chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, is the co-recipient of the Frida Kahlo award for its Sigma Delta Pi Web site. |  |
| International Students Help Peers in China (Feb. 18) Illinois Wesleyan students from China have volunteered with the Peer Experience Exchange Rostrum in their homeland, helping to bring educational opportunities to children in rural and impoverished areas. |  |
| Four Students to Participate in Exchange Program in South Korea (Feb. 17) The Council on International Educational Exchange selected four Illinois Wesleyan students to participate in a week-long program at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. |  |
| Tucci Gift Establishes New Endowed Professorship (Feb. 17) In a lasting tribute to the Illinois Wesleyan professors who transformed his life, Byron Tucci '66 has established a new endowed professorship with a gift to the University's Transforming Lives campaign. |  |
| Founders' Day Speaker Traces Environmental Inequalities (Feb. 17) As the University marked its 160th anniversary, Founders' Day Convocation speaker Dorceta Taylor connected struggles for sustainability with the history of inequality in the United States. |  |
| New Atrium Part of Founders' Day Celebrations (Feb. 17) Tradition and progress combined at Illinois Wesleyan on Feb. 17, as students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the University’s founding in the new Joslin Atrium. |  |
| Chemistry Majors Honored by Illinois Heartland American Chemical Society (Feb. 16) Three senior chemistry majors, who have been active in research as undergraduates, were selected as 2010 Illinois Heartland American Chemical Society Collegiate Scholars. |  |
| Classes Explore Collaborations with City, County (Feb. 11) From translating foreign-language history to deciphering financial data, Illinois Wesleyan classes are flexing their education on a wealth of information from local sources, and in turn sharing the insights they glean. |  |
| Students Receive Scholarships for Study Abroad (Feb. 10) Cassandra-Lee Jordan '12 and Bianca Spratt '11 each received Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to study abroad with the School of International Training (SIT) -- Jordan in China and Spratt in South Africa. |  |
| Junior Receives Scholarship for Lobbying Trip (Feb. 10) Paige Maynard '11 was awarded a scholarship to attend the One Voice trip to Washington D.C., sponsored by the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Bloomington-Normal to lobby for programs that will benefit McLean County. |  |
| Students to Join Study of Dark Energy (Feb. 8) This fall, Assistant Professor of Physics Thushara Perera will involve undergraduates at Illinois Wesleyan in one of the biggest questions facing science today: What is dark energy? |  |
| White House Internship Sparks Student's Passion for Public Service (Feb. 3) Jessica Kong, a senior accounting and economics double major, gained respect for people in government and a mind-opening view of what's happening in the nation during a competitive internship at the White House. |  |
| Students Selected to Present Research at National Conference (Feb. 2) Two seniors have received travel awards to attend the American Chemical Society’s national conference in San Francisco, to present findings from summer research they conducted as part of National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs. |  |
| Scholar Challenges Tolerance as Best Approach to Discussing Religion (Feb. 2) As the world grapples with the impact of differing religions, Illinois Wesleyan's Robert Erlewine argues that the modern concept of tolerance serves to increase tensions. In his new book, he explores other approaches to finding a common language. |  |
| Campus Gathers Help for Haiti (Jan. 29) The Illinois Wesleyan community is finding ways to raise funds for relief efforts in earthquake-devastated Haiti, including a telethon to solicit donations. |  |
| Events to Honor African American History Month (Jan. 28) Campus events celebrating African American History Month will include the annual Soul Food Dinner with speaker Jeff Johnson (pictured), musical entertainment, a poetry reading, and a speaker from the NAACP. |  |
| Students Receive Fellowship for Community Work (Jan. 22) Illinois Wesleyan seniors Lindsey Haines and Kenny Woodard have received the Weir Fellowship in recognition of their deep commitment to volunteering in the community. |  |
| Environmental Justice Activist to Address Founders’ Day Convocation (Jan. 19) Dorceta Taylor, environmental justice activist and program director for the Multicultural Environmental Leadership Development Initiative at the University of Michigan, will speak at Illinois Wesleyan's Founders’ Day Convocation on Wednesday, Feb. 17. |  |
| Civil Rights Pioneer to Speak at Fellowship Dinner (Jan. 18) Pioneering civil rights attorney Thomas N. Todd, whose initials “TNT” also describe his dynamic oratory skills, will speak at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellowship Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 24. |  |
| Alumnus Receives PGA Award (Jan. 13) Dave Kindred, a 1963 Illinois Wesleyan graduate, will receive the 2010 Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism. |  |
| Illinois Wesleyan No. 27 in Collegiate Power Rankings (Jan. 12) The National Collegiate Scouting Association ranked Illinois Wesleyan No. 27 nationally in Division III, based on strength of academics, athletics and graduation rates. |  |
| Shipley Named Director of Academic Advising (Jan. 12) Chandra Shipley, Illinois Wesleyan's new director of Academic Advising, will work with students and faculty advisors to support student learning and success. |  |
| Sophomore Wins Chemistry Scholar Award (Jan. 12) Chemistry major Ronald Fowle Grider, who has been researching the synthesis of macrocyclic compounds, received an American Chemical Society (ACS) Scholar Program award. |  |
| Alumnus Honored for Book of Poetry (Jan. 11) Richard Spilman '68 – whose short fiction has previously been honored by The New York Times and New American Press – received the Sacramento Poetry Center Award for his book, In the Night Speaking. |  |
| Gospel Festival Highlights Events Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jan. 6) The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Gospel Festival will honor King's legacy at Illinois Wesleyan, along with a social justice teach-in, a college visit day for area youth, and the annual Fellowship Dinner. |  |
| Alumnus Named Outstanding Theatre Educator of the Year (Jan. 5) George Younts '89 received the 2009 Outstanding Theatre Educator Award from the South Carolina Theatre Association. |  |
| Hart Career Center Helps Students Plan Their Futures (Jan. 4) From choosing the right career to taping practice job interviews, staff at the Hart Career Center provide a variety of support to prepare students for the path ahead. |  |