August 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Corine Garrett Sims, founder of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday Gospel Festival, co-sponsored by Illinois Wesleyan University, died Friday, August 3, 2007 at the age of 78.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, August 10 at Kibler-Smith Memorial Home, Bloomington. Memorial home going service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 11 at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, Bloomington. The Rev. Frank McSwain will officiate. Interment will be in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Bloomington. Memorials may be made to the family.

“I was saddened to learn of the passing of our friend, Corine Sims,” said Illinois Wesleyan University President Richard F. Wilson. “Her enthusiasm and drive made the MLK Gospel Festival possible and helped to keep the legacy of Dr. King alive on the Illinois Wesleyan campus and in the Bloomington-Normal community.  We will miss her enduring dedication and commitment.”

Sims was known for her dynamic personality and tireless efforts to improve her local community.  She organized the Gospel Festival in 1991, saying she saw a need to honor King on a spiritual level. As executive director of the United Community Gospel Singers of Bloomington-Normal, she envisioned a day of gospel music.  Sims approached former Illinois Wesleyan University President Minor Myers jr. to request Illinois Wesleyan as a venue for the event.   The University is a fitting site for the Festival: King spoke at the campus twice, in 1961 and in 1966. 
Now in its 18th year, the Gospel Festival that Sims created is celebrated each year around King’s birthday. The Festival honors King with hours of gospel music from choirs from Chicago to Springfield, Ill.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Associate Professor of Chemistry Ram Mohan will be honored during the American Chemical Society (ACS) national conference in August for an article he co-authored.

The article, “Bismuth compounds in organic synthesis. Bismuth nitrate catalyzed chemoselective synthesis of acylals from aromatic aldehydes,” originally published in a 2004 issue of the international journal Tetrahedron, has been named one of the “Top-50 most cited articles” for the journal from 2004-2007. Authors of the 50 papers will be honored at a dinner during the ACS conference in Boston.

Tetrahedron publishes five monthly journals covering different aspects of science, which are among the most accessed journals worldwide. According to James Milne publisher of the “Organic & Inorganic Chemistry” version of Tetrahedron, more than one million articles are downloaded each month.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – State Farm Insurance Companies and Illinois Wesleyan University have joined together to create an internship that puts students in the community.

This summer, ten Illinois Wesleyan students are working as interns at State Farm Insurance Companies in Bloomington, which sponsors the program. The internship pays for students to split their time, working three days a week at a State Farm office, and two days a week at a local not-for-profit organization.

“It’s an amazing chance when not-for-profits and for-profits work together to serve the community,” said Deborah Halperin, coordinator for Illinois Wesleyan’s Action Research Center, which pairs the students with local organizations after judging their skill level and eagerness to learn.

The decision to start the program, now in its first year, stemmed from State Farm’s conviction that students are the future of communities, according to Kathy Havens-Payne, director of education leadership at State Farm. “At State Farm, we have long believed that for communities to thrive, young people must be empowered as leaders and decision-makers who are challenged to address real issues and problems,” said Havens-Payne, who added that students “aren’t just tomorrows leaders. They are helping lead us now by impacting today’s issues.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Adlai H. Rust Professor of Insurance and Finance and Director of Institutional Research and Planning Mona Gardner will retire at the end of July after a distinguished 19-year career as a faculty member and administrator at Illinois Wesleyan University. For her outstanding contributions and achievements over the years, Gardner has been given the title of Professor Emerita by the IWU Board of Trustees.

“She has touched the lives of students, faculty, staff and four presidents,” said Illinois Wesleyan President Richard F. Wilson. “Mona is an exemplary teacher, researcher, scholar and colleague. She has been an indispensable member of the campus administration. She is a mentor to many people, and alumni cite her as an outstanding instructor.”

Gardner has been a pioneer on campus since she became the first May Term Director in 1994. She was appointed the first Director of the Mellon Center for Faculty and Curriculum Development when it was established in 1995, and was named the first associate dean of faculty the following year. In 2002, Gardner became the first to hold her current title as the Director of Institutional Research and Planning. She was named the Adlai H. Rust Professor of Insurance and Finance in 1989. In 1993, Gardner received IWU’s DuPont Award for Teaching Excellence based on her contributions to teaching, scholarship and service.

Throughout her tenure at Illinois Wesleyan, Gardner has been a leader on campus. She has served as the chair of the Business Administration Department and the director of the Division of Business and Economics. Gardner oversaw the self-study for the University’s accreditation. As a chair member of the personnel council, she spearheaded changes for promotion and tenure at the University. As an administrative liaison and ad hoc member of the Curriculum Council and Faculty Development Committee, Gardner helped implement the General Education Program and Post-Tenure Review Program, as well as a host of other development programs at the University.

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