June 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Associate Professor of History Jason Moralee is the recipient of the prestigious Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Post-Doctoral Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome.

Beginning this fall, Moralee will spend 11 months in Rome as a fellow at the academy, working among 30 fellows in diverse fields. “The artists and scholars who are awarded the Rome Prize are chosen from across the nation and represent the highest standard of excellence in the arts and humanities,” said Shawn Miller, program director of the academy.

Moralee, the first Illinois Wesleyan faculty member to receive a full fellowship with the academy, said the prize is more than an honor. “I saw the American Academy in Rome when I was doing my graduate studies, and I knew it would always be a goal of mine to study there,” he said. “It is fabulously situated, and an incredible opportunity to speak with other scholars.”

Founded in 1894, the academy is located on the Janiculum, the highest hill within the walls of Rome. The goal of the fellowship program is to invite scholars from different fields to converse and collaborate. “We hope to give those creating art the chance to speak with those who study the best in art and humanities,” said Miller. “The fellows live in the same buildings and eat together. It offers them a chance to share ideas, and develop their work to new depths. It is a true intellectual community.” Other scholars and artists joining Moralee include architects, artists and composers, as well as professors from such universities as Columbia and Colgate.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Galileo Galilei has been called the father of modern astronomy, the father of modern physics and the father of modern science. As the international science community celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning his telescope to the skies, Illinois Wesleyan University Professor of Physics Linda French talked about the continuing influence of this Renaissance man.

“Anyone who has ever taken physics, or even looked through a telescope, has some knowledge of Galileo’s findings,” said French, of the man who discovered four moons of Jupiter, and promoted the idea that the earth was not the center of the universe.

It was the latter idea that ran Galileo into trouble with the Inquisition. “I think more people remember him for his problems with the Inquisition than his mathematical interpretation of physical properties,” she said. “Whether he wanted to or not, he fought a battle that had to be fought.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Evan Kasprzak, who just completed his junior year at Illinois Wesleyan University, has made it onto the fifth season of Fox TV’s So You Think You Can Dance? as one of the top 20 dancers. Kasprzak auditioned for the show last year, but was cut just before the final roster of contenders was decided.

“It’s an amazing experience getting to be around so many incredibly talented people who are so passionate about the same things,” said Kasprzak, a music-theater major. Over the summer, he will have to prove himself against those people to win votes from the audience. Anyone can vote by calling a toll-free number, and those votes will determine how far he advances on the show.

After auditioning in Memphis in May with his older brother Ryan Kasprzak, who choreographed his routine, Evan Kasprzak advanced to the Las Vegas callbacks to compete for a place in the top 20. Unfortunately, his brother Ryan was cut from the show with the judges’ condolences on the June 4 episode, and Evan was left to continue on his own to rehearse and perform in Los Angeles for the summer. “One Kasprzak is better than no Kasprzaks,” said Ryan during the final moments of the episode, nudging his younger brother to join the other finalists.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Recent graduate Christine Gibbs of Glen Ellyn, Ill., has been admitted into the prestigious James H. Dunn Memorial Fellowship Program in Illinois government. Gibbs, a political science and international studies double major, will be a full-time employee of the Illinois state government for the next year.

“The Dunn Fellowship aims to train college graduates to become better leaders in state government some day,” said Gibbs. As the “federal liaison,” Gibbs will be helping to represent the interests of the state of Illinois at the federal level. Her position is the only one of approximately 19 Dunn Fellowships awarded each year to take place in Washington, D.C.

Past recipients of the Dunn Fellowship hail from some of the top universities in the country, said Illinois Wesleyan University Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science James Simeone. “The Dunn Fellowship, particularly the Washington, D.C. position, is a very competitive and very coveted prize for students of political science,” he said.

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