Michael Melick ’02, a history teacher at El Paso-Gridley High School, has been named teacher of the year by the state historical society.

The Olive Foster Outstanding Teacher Award is given annually by the Illinois State Historical Society to K-12 teachers for developing and implementing outstanding ways of engaging students in their study of Illinois history. Olive Foster, the award’s namesake, is a former Illinois state historian and originator of the Illinois History Program. Congratulations, Michael!

Read the full article here.

Mike Mayo ’02 and his brother, Bob Mayo, recently opened a new pizzeria + pub in Eureka, November 1, 2023. They were recently the official pizza of the largest disc golf tournament in the world, the Ledgestone Open, held in Eureka, since 2011. They have been featured in Peoria publications – such as Journal Star and the TV segment titled “You Gotta Eat”

Click here to read more about their business and here to follow them on Instagram! Congratulations Mike!

Betsy (Pollard) Sostak ’02 graduated with her doctorate in educational leadership in December 2023. Her dissertation entitled, “Self Portraits: How The Arts May Be the Key to Equitable And Authentic Engagement For Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Student Populations,” won the university’s Outstanding Dissertation Award in the area of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Congratulations Betsy!

Black Legends, a high-energy hit musical revue tracing African-American history through songs from the last hundred years, has just been renewed for a third season at Théâtre Bobino in Paris! Jeremy Coffman ’02, the Stage Manager, has been a part of the company since February 2023 and he has been helping the company move forward to reach audiences in Paris, around France, and perhaps beyond!

You can find more information about it here.

Dr. Ebony Murrell ’02 gave a talk on March 23rd, “New Roots for Fallowed Ground: Developing Sustainable Perennial Grains Agriculture.” Murrell, a Crop Protection Ecologist at The Land Institute, provided an overview of the research conducted by the Land Institute and global partners on perennial grains systems.

Megan Neely ’02 was named the new Chief of Primary Care Service at Marion VA Health Care System. Read the full Southern Illinoisian Article here.

Lifelong friends Scott Collins ’02 and Kosha (Baxi) Carstens ’02 have stayed in touch since their shared college days. This July 2023, Carstens will be joining Collins’ high school biology class as they take a nine-day trip to do original research and conservation work on the Galápagos Islands. Read the full IWU article here.

Mark Ordonez ’02 started in September as the Director of Information Systems & Security with Honest Game, a Chicago startup helping to empower student-athletes with a personalized College Athletic Pathway. Congrats, Mark!

Erika (Kamholz) Briesacher ’02 has a new book that is being published with Lexington Books on December 15, 2022. The book is called Festival, Culture, and Identity in Lübeck: Nordic Days, 1920-1960. You can read more about the book here. Congratulations Erika!