February 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Three new Illinois Wesleyan student organizations are joining forces to level the playing field for health care across the world.

The Illinois Wesleyan chapter of the national organization FACE AIDS, along with the University groups Global Medical Brigade and Titan EMS will be raising funds for their perspective groups through a raffle for a Wii game system and the popular Rock Band game starting March 1.

The organizations, which all began last year, have very different approaches to health care, but a first-year Illinois Wesleyan student believes they share the same ideal. “Our goal is better health care for everyone – to bring about global health equality,” said Michael Henry, the founder of the Illinois Wesleyan chapter of FACE AIDS, which raises awareness and funds to fight AIDS in Africa. “We can do that by helping to raise money for international organizations as well as our University organizations that focus on health care.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University Provost and Dean of the Faculty Beth A. Cunningham announced the appointment of faculty member Zahia Drici to the newly created position of associate dean of curriculum.

“Dr. Drici is an excellent teacher with a well-informed and broad overview of the university’s curriculum,” said Cunningham. In her new role, Drici will provide leadership in helping to strengthen programs in the curriculum, including overseeing the International Office and the May Term Program. “Dr. Drici’s experience as an international scholar will be invaluable,” added Cunningham.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - As we celebrate the iconic Abraham Lincoln during the month of his 200th birthday, it can be difficult to imagine the monumental task he faced eliminating slavery in America.

“It was not easy to be Abraham Lincoln, especially not easy to be Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States in the mid-1800s,” said James O. Horton. The Pulitzer Prize-nominated historian delivered an address titled, “Abraham Lincoln: Slavery and the Civil War” for Illinois Wesleyan University’s annual Founders’ Day Convocation in Westbrook Auditorium. Hear his address (mp3)

“Slavery is an old institution, around more than 150 years before there was a ‘United States,’” said Horton, an historian emeritus with the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. “Slavery and race have been part of America from its beginning.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University students Sneh Rajbhandari and Danny Burke are the recipients of the Weir Fellowship that honors students who go beyond simply volunteering in the community.

The $1,250 fellowships come through Illinois Wesleyan’s Action Research Center (ARC), which links Illinois Wesleyan students with research projects with not-for-profit organizations. Students chosen as Weir Fellows must have previously worked closely with community partners, and proposed collaborative projects with them.

“Students have so many responsibilities with classes and work, that finding the time to volunteer and become involved in the community can be challenging,” said Jim Simeone, one of the founders of ARC. “This fellowship is intended to pay for the work they do assisting community partners.” Though the money is intended to support students financially as they work on projects for community partners, Illinois Wesleyan students are putting the funds back into the organizations they serve.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Senior chemistry major Matthew Spafford has been selected as a 2009 Illinois Heartland American Chemical Society (ACS) Collegiate Scholar.

Award recipients are chosen based on research accomplishments and grade point average. Spafford’s research focuses on developing environmentally friendly methods for organic synthesis, specifically, the use of bismuth compounds as catalysts. His research findings have been published in the international chemistry journals Tetrahedron Letters and The Australian Journal of Chemistry. He has also presented his findings in the organic division of The American Chemical Society.

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