Neela Paykel was recently promoted to General Counsel at Hyperfine Inc. Find more information here.
Neela Paykel ’90
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Scott Swayne ’90
Scott Swayne ’90 was named chief people officer for Potbelly Corporation, effective April 26, 2021, where he will lead the Human Resources and People Team in developing and advancing strategic initiatives that strengthen Potbelly’s culture and drive talent acquisition solutions. Prior to his role at Potbelly, Scott served as senior global talent acquisition director at McCormick & Company, where he led the global recruiting team that sourced and hired talent in support of McCormick’s performance and growth agenda. He previously held human resources roles at General Mills, Genesis Systems Group and Abbott.
Monica (Cheek) Hall ’90
Assistant Professor of Nursing Monica Hall ’90 has been named a Nurse Educator Fellow by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, supporting her research on type 2 diabetes in the African American community.
Presented by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), each fellow is awarded $10,000 in an effort to ensure the retention of well-qualified nursing faculty at institutions of higher learning.
“This award is a wonderful gift and will allow me to further my dissertation research,” said Hall. “Without this award, I would not be able to expand my research to include interviews of people outside of Illinois. The pandemic of course makes things a little more difficult, but I think people are adapting well and there are now resources to use that allow us to meet without being physically in the same space.”
See the full article here.
Amy (Peterson) Olson ’90
Amy Peterson Olson, class of 1990, is the 2020 recipient of the prestigious M3 Insurance President’s Club Award. Olson joined M3 as an advisor in 2006 and was named partner in 2015.
Congratulations to Amy, and keep up the amazing work!
TAG Day 2021
Monday, February 8 is Thank-A-Giver Day at Illinois Wesleyan and we’re eager to celebrate generous Titans!
Thank-A-Giver (TAG) Day is the symbolic point during the academic year — about 70% of the way through — when tuition dollars are exhausted and Illinois Wesleyan relies on donor generosity to continue providing a world-class education and rewarding collegiate experiences.
Each and every year, every gift matters. Contributions benefit students and faculty, enhance academic excellence, and strengthen the IWU community.
Thank you to all who give back to move IWU forward. 
Gretchen Cepek ’90
Gretchen Cepek ’90 was featured in a special report honoring women who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law. You can view it here! 
Darryn Dunbar ’90
Darryn Dunbar ’90 became the director of critical care and emergency services at The Queen’s Medical Center’s West Oahu campus in Honolulu, in December 2019. Darryn, who earned a doctorate in nursing practice from Johns Hopkins University last year, first visited Queen’s 30 years ago as an Illinois Wesleyan student on a January Term transcultural nursing trip.
Robert Stone ’90
Robert Stone ’90 of Fox Lake, Illinois, died Oct. 24, 2019. He was 51. Bob studied accounting at Illinois Wesleyan, where he was also active in Theta Chi. He was a lifetime Mason and certified public accountant. He supported his children in all their endeavors and especially enjoyed watching his daughter perform and his son play baseball. He is survived by his wife, two children father, stepmother, four siblings, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Engaging with IWU Virtually
Here are ways to virtually engage with IWU and fellow Titans:
- Performances from IWU alumni, students and faculty
Contact us at iwualum@iwu.edu if you have a virtual performance to share. Follow the School of Theatre Arts Facebook page for posts about performances by students and alumni. - Back to College Classes
Check out videos of previous classes featuring alumni. - Take part in Titan Talks: Webinar Series
We are excited to launch this series featuring alumni, faculty and staff. - Start a Titan Group
Have you been wanting to start a book club? Let us know at iwualum@iwu.edu and we can help connect you to other interested alumni. - IWU Social Media
Follow Illinois Wesleyan University Alumni Association social media for the latest updates and announcements – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. - Virtual Titan Connections
We miss connecting with Titans in person, but we would love to see photos or videos from your virtual connections. Show your Titan pride and tag IWU Alumni Association (@IWU_AlumniAssoc) on Twitter and (@illinoiswesleyanalumni) on Facebook. You can also post in your Regional Alumni Chapter’s Facebook group, reunion group, or affinity group. - Titan Challenges
Challenge your fellow Titans to a virtual 5K or fitness challenge. Be sure to wear your favorite Titan gear and share a photo on social media or you can send it to iwualum@iwu.edu.
Titans Supporting Titans
Ways to Support Fellow Titans
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- To share a word of support for your classmates at this time, submit a post to your class newsletter by emailing your editor or if your class does not have an editor, send your post to classnews@iwu.edu.
- You can provide support to the Titan Student Emergency Fund. This fund will provide relief to students with needs such as housing, travel, moving and storage, transportation and vehicle repair, and technology needs related to remote learning.
- If you have expertise or a career opportunity that you can share with students, please connect with a Hart Career Center staff member for a phone or video appointment through a Handshake account here. You can also post job and internship opportunities on the site. View FAQs here.
- University Archives & Special Collections wants to hear your experiences and reflections to keep a historical record of the impact of the pandemic on the Illinois Wesleyan community, you can learn more here.
- Assist the IWU Admissions team in student recruitment efforts. Our alumni are the best and most qualified to meet with prospective students to share your IWU experience. Sign up here: Titan Alumni Ambassadors.
- You can see more ideas here.