THANK YOU to all of our fiscal year 2015 donors! Illinois Wesleyan University‘s alumni participation rate has increased for the third year in a row thanks to the generosity of donors like you! Your support helps to ensure IWU is stronger and more affordable for current and future generations of Titans. You’ve done well, and you’ve done good! Go Titans!

I retired in December of 2014 after 30 years with the State of Illinois, 25 of those years with the Department of Public Health, the last 10 as the agency’s Administrative Rules Coordinator. I am enjoying reading, quilting, race-walking, singing in local choral groups, and participating in DAR. Retirement will also allow us to visit our daughter, Dr. Katherine Meister Cheng (IWU 2004), who is a dentist in the US Navy, stationed in Okinawa. She and her husband Jerry have a daughter, Julia, who was born in December of 2013.

The redeveloped quadrangle north of State Farm Hall, which includes a stainless steel water sculpture entitle Aspiration, has been named Egbers quadrangle in recognition of a major gift from Jan Egbers of Bloomington and her family. Jan Egbers was interested in a project that would, in part, pay tribute to the relationship between her family and IWU and to the significant service of her late husband, Gary Egbers, a 1972 Illinois Wesleyan graduate. Gary Egbers was an active member of the Illinois Wesleyan Associates Board and member of the Board of Trustees.

2015-06-22 Aspiration Sculpture. State Farm Hall. Egbers Quadrangle. Illinois Wesleyan Photo by Robert Frank III.

Edward Rust Jr. ’72 is stepping down as CEO of State Farm Insurance after 30 years, to be succeeded by another alum of Illinois Wesleyan University, Michael Tipsord ’81. Under the leadership of Rust, State Farm Insurance has been a generous supporter of education – including his alma mater.

Debra Burt-Frazier is now an Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Moraine Valley Community College.

Judith Schulz ’71 has established two non-profit, educational hands-on museums: the Spinning Top & Yo-Yo Museum and the Logic Puzzle Museum, both located in Burlington, Wisconsin. The Logic Puzzle Museum was featured recently in the national magazine Games-World of Puzzles in April 2015! The Logic Puzzle Museum is “one-of-a-kind” with its 90 minute, hands-on session with up to 60 different hands-on brainteaser puzzles to try.  Visitors ring bells when they solve a puzzle, adding to the “I did it!” fun; plus make a puzzle to keep.  The exhibit surrounds the hands-on area with hundreds of vintage and antique puzzles. You can visit their website at www.logicpuzzlemuseum.org.

Muse Me, a play by Katherine James ’73, was a semifinalist in Little Black Dress INK’s Female Playwrights ONSTAGE project, and was featured as part of a Stripped Scripts reading in Santa Barbara, California.

Illinois Wesleyan’s fiscal year end is quickly approaching on July 31. Have you shown your Titan Pride by making a gift this year?

Check out the new Tommymometer to see where we stand by clicking here.

If you have already made a gift this year, thank you! If you have not yet made your gift, there is still time for you to make a difference this year.

By making your gift before July 31, you will not only add to the Tommymometer for alumni donors, but you will help to keep current Illinois Wesleyan students enrolled and our alma mater strong. The percentage of alumni donors is important to IWU because outside organizations view it as a metric to measure alumni satisfaction. It affects Illinois Wesleyan’s rankings, bond rating, and ability to earn grants.

Thank you for doing your part to fill the Tommymometer before July 31 and keep Illinois Wesleyan moving forward!