Ethan Schrum ’99 is the author of The Instrumental University: Education in Service of the National Agenda after World War II, published by Cornell University Press in June. The Instrumental University shows how elite research universities adopted a new technocratic mission of solving social problems and promoting economic growth in the emerging knowledge economy. In so doing, these institutions took on more capitalistic and managerial tendencies and marginalized some of their founding ideals. A chemistry major and physics minor at IWU, Ethan started to write about higher education as editor-in-chief of The Argus. A class with Paul Bushnell, professor emeritus of history, helped inspire Ethan to become a historian. Ethan is an assistant professor of history at Azusa Pacific University near Los Angeles. 

On April 11, alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends of IWU show your pride and support by being All In for Wesleyan. During this 24-hour giving day, let’s unlock opportunities together – you are key to our success!

Be All In, All Day, make an additional gift at iwu.edu/all-in and spread the word on social media using#AllInforWesleyan. Check out our social media toolkit!

Thank-A-Giver Day (TAG Day) is on Monday, February 11. This day provides the IWU campus community with the opportunity to thank the donors who support Illinois Wesleyan. IWU celebrates each year in mid-February because it marks the symbolic point during the academic year – about 70% of the way through – when tuition dollars run out and support from alumni and friends, our endowment, and external grants kicks in for the remainder of the year.

Thank you to all donors who help make the IWU experience possible!

Amy Pollitz ’99 welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Maggie Lynn, on June 14, 2018.

Congratulations, Amy!

Gina (Schopp) Wither ’99 and Brian Smith ’00 have worked at Steamboat Mountain School, a small, independent boarding school, for 19 and 20 years respectively.  Brian is the Dean of Students and teaches Calculus 1 and 2. They just took kids on a 5 day canoeing trip on the Green River through Labyrinth Canyon for their annual Desert Week trip.

Scott Pluff ’99 has accepted a new position as Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cottleville, MO. With 5300 families, St. Joseph is the largest Catholic parish in the state of Missouri. He will oversee the parish’s worship ministries, direct three choirs, and serve as the principal organist. This year marks 25 years of Scott’s service as a professional church musician. At IWU he studied organ with Dr. David Gehrenbeck, and he holds an M.A. in Theology from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO. Scott lives in south St. Louis with his wife and three daughters.

Congratulations, Scott!

Benjamin Nelson ’99 co-edited “‘Los cielos se agotaron de prodigios’: Essays in Honor of Frederick A. de Armas” (Juan de la Cuesta Hispanic Monographs, 2018), which includes his essay “Pilgrimaging to the Temple of Diana: Jorge de Montemayor, Merida, and the Septizodium.”

Tuesday, April 3rd is our day of giving at Illinois Wesleyan and this year’s theme is
Think Bigger! 
Not only is today a day for giving, it’s a day to celebrate IWU and all of the things that make it special.  Last year, our class had an impressive 27 donors, and we contributed $5,260. Let’s think bigger and surpass last year’s donors and dollars contributed! Think of the impact this can make for IWU students and their families!

Click here to learn more and to donate on Tuesday, April 3rd.
Help spread the word using #AllInForWesleyan and take advantage of our social media toolkit.