The Spring 2018 (vol. 27, iss.1) marks the 100th edition since the publication appeared in its current form in the fall of 1992. A previous iteration of the title was published in four volumes from 1896-1904 and was “devoted to the interests of graduate and non-resident students of IWU.” It is available online with similar publications by IWU offices at http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/iwu_bullet
All iterations of the Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine are available in print in the University Archives at The Ames Library in record group 5 - 1/8. Contact archives@iwu.edu or visit Tate Archives and Special Collections for details.
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Volume 33, Number 2, Summer/Fall 2024
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 33 | NUMBER 2 | Summer/Fall 2024
ON OUR COVER:
President Sheahon Zenger poses for a portrait in the Bates & Merwin Reading Room on the fourth floor of The Ames Library. The room hosts a collection of award-winning books in honor of IWU's former president Minor Myers jr.
18 Discoveing Home, As a career university administrator with a long record of success and optimism for the future of liberal arts, Sheahon Zenger has been appointed the 21st president of Illinois Wesleyan University.
22 Browadway Reunion, More than a decade after last performing together at IWU, Bry Parham '07 and Tony Lopez '08 are reuniting on Broadway.
26 Alumni Award Winners, For more than two decades, Mark Denzler '93 has worked across the aisle to promote robust economic policy in the state of Illinois.
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Volume 33, Number 1, Spring 2024
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 33 | NUMBER 1 | Spring 2024
ON OUR COVER:
Ryan Jumper '00 has been an associate judge in Madison County, Illinois, since 2018 and was retained in 2023. Four other IWU alumni became judges in 2023, including two federal judges.
16 The Titan Judges IWU's legal minds are shaping the judiciary in the state of Illinois and beyond. Three of these judges share the stories of their careers within criminal and civil justice.
22 The Lawyer and the Punk Dave Rossi '07 started his career as a famous punk rocker. Now he's a lawyer creating the newest recording hub of Central Illinois.
24 150 All-Americans In 2023, IWU scored its 150th Academic All-America team member. IWU is now the 24th across all NCAA divisions and 9th among all Division III schools.
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Volume 32, Number 4, Winter 2023-24
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 4 | Winter 2023-24
ON OUR COVER:
Bryan McCannon '98 and Amber Kujath '97 have returned to IWU to lead the Schools of Business and Economics and of Nursing and Health Sciences.
14 Pilgrims of Science Scott Collins '02 and Kosha (Baxi) Carstens '02 have dreamed of going to the Galapagos Islands since they were children growing up together in Ottawa, Illinois. This summer, they finally went with Scott's class of high school biology students.
18 Returning Leaders Two IWU alumni, Amber Kujath '97 and Bryan McCannon '98, have returned to campus as experts in their fields leading the newly organized Schools of Nursing and Health Sciences and of Business and Economics.
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Volume 32, Number 3, Summer/Fall 2023
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 3 | Summer/Fall 2023
ON OUR COVER:
Brenda Lessen Knoll '89 performs her physical therapy treatment, PIOMI, with 12-hour old premature infant Remi Audeman.
14 Handmade Miracles Brenda Lessen Knoll '89 was completing her doctorate when she developed a groundbreaking new physical therapy. Now it's implemented around the world to help premature infants grow using only caregiver's hands.
18 A Chance to Cure Dr. Ann Stroink '76 winner of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award, has mastered one of medicine's most demanding fields -- neurosurgery. She has saved lives and trained a new generation of surgeons, for whom she advocates as a leader in national organizations.
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Volume 32, Number 1, Spring 2023
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 1 | Spring 2023
ON OUR COVER:
Tim Pritts ’91, as a senior trauma surgeon and the chief of general surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, helped save the life of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
14 Saving Damar After Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills’ 24-year-old safety, suffered sudden cardiac arrest in the middle of a livebroadcast NFL football game, IWU alum Tim Pritts ’91 was in the operating room where Hamlin's life was saved.
18 A Life of Change President Georgia Nugent is traveling the country to meet alums in 2023. She gave the IWU Magazine an opportunity to learn how her life story made her into the leader in higher education that she is today.
22 Caring for Our Ancestors Shana (Bushyhead) Condill ’99, as the director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, is giving new voice to a cultural conversation she first entered as a student at Illinois Wesleyan.
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Volume 31, Number 3, Winter 2022-23
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 3 | Winter 2022-23
ON OUR COVER: Toni Tortorella ’21 sports the mark from the surgery that cured her cancer as a symbol of health advocacy and the support she received from family, friends, faculty and staff.
14 Guardian Angel When IWU nursing student and community leader Toni Tortorella ’21 was diagnosed with cancer, her family at home and school advocated for her health and her academic success. Now she’s a nurse at the hospital that cured her.
18 A Love Letter to IWU After a summer of storytelling about what makes Illinois Wesleyan a unique gem of higher education, IWU will soon be streaming on Amazon!
22 A New Legacy The Tammens have farmed their family’s land for over 100 years. Now two generations of IWU grads are turning the farm into a craft brewery — and a new legacy.
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Volume 31, Number 2, Summer 2022
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 2 | Summer 2022
ON OUR COVER: Dr. Nurman Noor ’08 showcased his culinary skills as an eventual runner-up in The Great Australian Bake Off. Photo courtesy of Foxtel Publicity.
14 Baked with Love Dr. Nurman Noor ’08 may be a general practitioner by trade, but a passion for baking earned him a spot in the TV series The Great Australian Bake Off, where he won scores of fans with his likable personality, raw vulnerability and mouth-watering creations.
18 Breaking Through Angela (Tomazin) Hesemann ’09 found herself laid off at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but co-founded a successful business to meet a new demand also created by the pandemic.
22 Community Centered Despite working in different arenas — medicine, higher education, and the intersection of performance and activism — Illinois Wesleyan’s 2022 Alumni Award winners share the common bond of serving their communities.
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Volume 31, Number 1, Spring 2022
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 1 | Spring 2022
ON OUR COVER: Signed into law on June 23, 1972, Title IX has prevented sex-based discrimination and provided opportunities for women for the past 50 years. Illinois Wesleyan celebrates the anniversary, specifically through its impact on IWU’s women’s athletics program.
10 Cause for Celebration As Title IX turns 50, the Illinois Wesleyan women’s athletics community reflects on the progress that’s been made and the work that still needs to be done.
18 Made to Fly Propelled by an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to improve life in his home country of Nigeria, Babawande Afolabi ’10 founded Green Africa Airways, a startup providing affordable air travel in Africa’s most populous country.
22 Lending a Hand After Loss Illinois Wesleyan’s Parent Fund supports enrolled students who lose a parent to death or permanent disability and has served as a beacon of hope to both current and former students by providing assistance during times of need.
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Volume 30, Number 3, Winter 2021-22
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 30 | NUMBER 3 | WINTER 2021-22
ON OUR COVER: Bill Damaschke ’85 meets with media after accepting the Tony Award for Best Musical at the 74th annual Tony Awards on Sept. 26, 2021. Photo courtesy of Cindy Ord.
14 Bringing Broadway Back A lifetime of experiences prepared Bill Damaschke ’85 to serve as producer of a Tony Award-winning musical that echoes real life as Broadway bounces back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
18 Taking Off A series of rejections didn’t stop Torri “T.J.” Newman ’06 from writing a story that has become a New York Times bestseller and landed a seven-figure movie deal.
22 At Home Among the Spires As Illinois Wesleyan celebrates the 25th anniversary of its association with the Pembroke Program and the University of Oxford, Rachel McCarthy ’21 shares a firsthand account of her experience studying in the “City of Dreaming Spires.”
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Volume 30, Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2021
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 30 | NUMBER 2 | SUMMER/FALL 2021
ON OUR COVER: Burke Nihill ’00, president and CEO of the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans, sits for a photo at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
12 Titan Among Titans Burke Nihill ’00 is the president and CEO of the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans, where he and his family are all part of the team.
16 Keeping Our Community Safe Through her many campus roles, Vickie (Noltkamper) Folse ’86 helped the Illinois Wesleyan community safely navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
20 Reimagining Radio Illinois Wesleyan’s storied campus radio station, WESN, is evolving through renewed interest and investment while continuing to serve as an important platform for student voices.
24 Leaving a Legacy Illinois Wesleyan’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award winner Dr. William Farrar ’71 has made a lasting impact through his many leadership roles at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
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Volume 30, Issue 1, Spring 2021
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 30 | NUMBER 1 | Spring 2021
ON OUR COVER: Dr. Judith Eckerle ’98, director of the University of Minnesota’s Adoption Medicine Clinic, poses at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.
16 Angel in Adoption Guided by her own adoption experience, Dr. Judith Eckerle ’98 serves as director of the University of Minnesota’s Adoption Medicine Clinic.
22 Up for an Adventure The tallest mountain in North America beckoned Andrew Baldock ’99 to Alaska and set in motion a quest to climb the world’s highest peaks.
26 Cookies for a Cause A love of baking and a transformative volunteer experience led Katherine Slevin ’10 to found C. Love Cookie Project, a bakery that supports the local immigrant community in Portland, Maine.
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Volume 29, Issue 3, Winter 2020-21
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 29 | NUMBER 3 | WINTER 2020-21
ON OUR COVER: Students like sophomore theatre arts major Nyja White ’23 are grappling with world events and their impact on Illinois Wesleyan’s campus and community. Portrait photo by Nick Helten. Graphic design by Ethan Lubin and Nick Helten.
12 Community Conversation Recent events in our country have required us to look introspectively at what we are doing to be the people and the community we want to be. We asked the IWU community questions that many Americans are grappling with at this critical point in our history.
16 Titan Talks When horrific acts of racial injustice brought renewed attention to deeply rooted systemic inequality, Titan Talks pivoted to offering a forum to discuss the critical issues of our time.
18 Safe Space Illinois Wesleyan’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, led by Hannah Mesouani and Veronica Torres Luna ’19, provides services and programming for underrepresented students while fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus community.
22 Vision for the Future Diversity of faculty, students and curriculum are essential to the future of Illinois Wesleyan’s School of Music under the direction of Franklin Larey.
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Volume 29, Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2020
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 29 | NUMBER 2 | SUMMER/FALL 2020
ON OUR COVER: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Illinois Wesleyan to adapt in unforeseen ways amidst the global health crisis. Digital illustration by Ethan Lubin.
11 Long Way Home When the novel coronavirus outbreak presented travel challenges for Illinois Wesleyan students abroad, the IWU community came together to help students return home quickly and safely.
16 Waging War on COVID-19 Dr. Gregory A. Poland ’77 has spent decades studying infectious diseases and developing vaccines, and is a leading voice during the current health crisis.
20 Leading on the Front Lines Cheryl (Wallace) Reinking ’87 oversees more than 2,000 frontline healthcare workers as the chief nursing officer at El Camino Health, a two-hospital Bay Area healthcare system.
24 Protecting the Vulnerable Illinois Wesleyan 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award winner Dr. Raymond “Pete” Davis ’80 treats and advocates for victims of child abuse and child sexual abuse.
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Volume 29, Issue 1, Spring 2020
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E VOLUME 29 | NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2020
ON OUR COVER: Marc Talluto ’94 speaks with guests at an open house at Wesleyan Manor, a student-run Airbnb benefiting Illinois Wesleyan’s Design, Technology and Entrepreneurship program.
16 Manor of Learning. Illinois Wesleyan Entrepreneur in Residence Marc Talluto ’94 provides students with experiential learning opportunities through internships that benefit IWU’s Design, Technology and Entrepreneurship program.
20 Training the Mind. A personal loss inspired Chad McGehee ’03 to broaden his horizons and led to his discovery of meditation. Now he helps others use meditation to reach personal well-being and performance goals.
24 Mentoring Matters. Influential professors fostered the freedom to explore unexpected interests for Alison Sweeney ’01, who now does the same for her students at Yale University.
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Volume 28, Issue 3, Winter 2019-2020
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 3 | Winter 2019-2020
ON OUR COVER: Georgia Nugent, who joined Illinois Wesleyan as interim president in August 2019, was named the 20th president of the University on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Nick Helten.
12 A Bright Future for IWU. A tireless advocate for higher education with vast experience at elite liberal arts institutions, Georgia Nugent was named Illinois Wesleyan’s 20th president in November 2019.
16 Life of Crime. Associate Professor Amanda Vicary, who brings true crime into her psychology courses at Illinois Wesleyan, has become a highly sought-after expert in the crime community.
20 Community Care. Dr. Beth Mulberry ’86 provides an upstream approach to healthcare for uninsured and underinsured residents of Greensboro, North Carolina, through Mustard Seed Community Health.
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Volume 28, Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2019
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E V O L U M E 2 8 | N U M B E R 2 | SUMMER/FALL 2019
ON OUR COVER: Jack Sikma ,77, who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks, will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2019. Photo courtesy of the NBA.
14 Heading to the Hall The standard bearer for Illinois Wesleyan basketball, Jack Sikma ’77 will be immortalized as an inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2019.
18 Innovative Dreams Boundless curiosity and deeply rooted motivation inspired a groundbreaking medical device and served as a springboard to a career in medicine for Niyant Vora ’19.
22 Like a Good Neighbor Illinois Wesleyan 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner and retired State Farm chairman and CEO Ed Rust Jr. ’72 embodies his company’s well-known slogan.
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Volume 28, Issue 1, Spring 2019
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E V O L U M E 2 8 | N U M B E R 1 | S P R I N G 2 0 1 9
ON OUR COVER: Veteran journalist Chris Fusco ’94 oversees the Chicago Sun-Times newsroom as its editor-in-chief. Portrait photo by Jason Reblando. Digital illustration by Gary Schwartz.
14 The Future of the Front Page Chris Fusco ’94 leads the Chicago Sun-Times as it delivers news and content in an ever-changing media landscape.
18 Bringing Back The Barn Driven by a bold, entrepreneurial vision, Abby Reel ’04 has resurrected a local dinner theatre and reunited a community with deep Illinois Wesleyan roots.
22 Signature Solutions Environmental Studies students got a firsthand look at environmental issues in Vietnam before crafting proposals to promote sustainability. -
Volume 27, Issue 3, Winter 2018-19
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
VOLUME 27 | NUMBER 3 | WINTER 2018-19ON OUR COVER: A breakthrough moment inspired Lisa Mishra ’15 to put her career on hold and pursue a future in the music industry. Portrait photo by Jason Reblando. Digital illustration by Gary Schwartz.
14 Homecoming 2018 Illinois Wesleyan celebrated 100 years of Homecoming at “A Century of Celebration,” with many alumni and friends returning to campus for the annual tradition Oct. 5-7, 2018.
16 Leap of Faith Music has always been a way of life for Lisa Mishra ’15, but a breakthrough moment launched a new career for the young alum.
20 Changing (many, many, many) Lives Through an eight-figure endowment to support student scholarships, Gene ’50 and Marilyn Nuziard will provide the gift of an Illinois Wesleyan education to scores of future students. -
Volume 27, Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2018
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
VOLUME 27 | NUMBER 2 | SUMMER / FALL 2018ON OUR COVER: Lindsey Fitzharris ’04 has achieved celebrity historian status with her award-winning debut novel The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine, a popular YouTube series and an active social media presence.
14 Resurrecting History Lindsey Fitzharris ’04 delivers medical history to a wide audience by utilizing mediums both old and new.
22 Posse Power Supporting one another has been key to the success of Illinois Wesleyan’s first class of Posse Scholars.
25 An Ocean of Opportunity Research trips to the Smithsonian Marine Station have provided Jamie Blumberg ’19 with experiential learning opportunities to help launch a career in science. -
Volume 27, Issue 1, Spring 2018
Office of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
V O LU M E 2 7 | N U M B E R 1 | S P R I N G 2 0 1 8ON OUR COVER: Richard ’69 and Sharon Jenkins ’69 walk the red carpet at the 90th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018. Richard Jenkins was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Shape of Water, which won Best Picture.
14 The Shape of Success Much has changed since, but Richard ’69 and Sharon Jenkins ’69 are the same people who went on a first date as Illinois Wesleyan students 50 years ago.
19 Paying it Forward Amanda Toney-Logan ’74 benefitted from assistance when she attended IWU. Now she’s returning the favor.
22 Building the Future of Medicine William Murphy ’98 leads a team researching regenerative medicine and bioinspired materials tasked with solving challenging biomedical problems.