Rachael Marusarz ’04 was promoted to Vice President, Development / Chief Development Officer at Sinai Chicago, where she leads fundraising to support the city’s largest private, nonprofit safety net healthcare system.
In 2019, she completed her Doctor of Education (EdD) in transformational leadership and coaching at Wright Graduate University.
Congratulations, Rachael!
Sarah (Brown) Smith ’04 was named associate principal for curriculum and instruction at Andrew High School, in Tinley Park, Illinois, in March 2021, ahead of the 2021-22 academic year. Sarah previously served as division chairman of the English, English learners and music programs at Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Illinois.
Congratulations to Cathy Long Baumann ’04 and her husband, Jason Baumann, on the birth of their newest Tiny Titan! Emmett Brian Baumann was born December 29, 2020. We wish their family all the best!
Thank you to Jen Tracy for your service to the Class of 2004 as Class Newsletter Editor. We appreciate your dedication to your classmates and work to keep your class connected. Jen has stepped down from the position, and we wish her well.
Megan Presnak ’04 participated in a Careers in Technology Panel with the Hart Career Center at Illinois Wesleyan University on February 24, 2021. Moderated by Andrew Shallue, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Megan and other alumni discussed careers in technology, software development, consulting, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cyber security with IWU students.
Megan is a Business Information Security Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield (cyber security) in Dallas.
Maria Mangold gave the following update
I completed a Master of Education degree at Loyola University (Chicago) in 2007. My husband, Karl Mangold ’02 is in private practice (podiatry): https://www.missoulafootandankle.com/about/. We have three children (ages 5, 9, and 11).”
Maria Mangold ’04 has been promoted to registrar at the University of Montana. You can read the full article on her promotion here. Congratulations!
Sheena (Selvey) Watterson ’04 and her husband Adam gave birth to their child, Camden Leigh Watterson on November 2nd, 2020. Congratulations to them on the newest addition to their family!
Central Illinois Business Magazine named Illinois Wesleyan University alumna Gianina Baker ’04 its Woman of the Year from the publication’s “Forty Under 40” class.
Baker is the associate director at the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), a resource-research institute founded to discover, document, and disseminate effective assessment of student learning practices at colleges and universities. She is also vice president of the Champaign Community Unit School District 4 school board and recently helped pass a resolution that declares racism a public health crisis, ensuring that the necessary attention and resources will be directed to this issue.
Baker graduated from Illinois Wesleyan in 2004 with a degree in psychology, before earning a master’s degree in human development counseling from Saint Louis University and a Ph.D. in education policy, organization & leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
One of the most decorated student-athletes in Illinois Wesleyan history, Baker was an eight-time All-American, and a member of the 2004 Indoor National Champion 4×400 meter relay team. Baker was also president of the Black Student Union; co-President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee; resident advisor; and assisted/led/hosted a variety of initiatives on the IWU campus.
Baker remains involved with Illinois Wesleyan as a member of the Council for Women. She will be among the presenters for a Titan Talks webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. titled: “ Leaders in Education – Rising to the Challenges of COVID-19.”
Central Illinois Business Magazine ’s “Forty Under 40” recognizes the professional achievements and community involvement of young leaders in Central Illinois.
Read more here.
Tristan Gunn returned to Wesleyan virtually as a panelist for the Hart Career Center’s Law Career Panel on October 15th. Thank you, Tristan!