Charlene Carruthers ’07 was among the 2020 Freedom Scholars announced by the Marguerite Casey Foundation and Group Health Foundation. Recognizing scholars standing at the forefront of movements for economic and social justice, and creating the catalytic ideas for transformative change, the foundations are placing power in the hands of changemakers through new Freedom Scholars Awards, $250,000 grants that give leaders greater freedom to build a truly representative economy that works for working families and people. Charlene is a political strategist, cultural worker and Ph.D. student in the Department of African American Studies at Northwestern University. Her research includes Black feminist political economies, abolition of patriarchal and carceral systems, and the role of cultural work within the Black radical tradition. Her work spans more than 15 years of community organizing across racial, gender and economic justice movements. She is the author of Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements, and received Illinois Wesleyan’s Robert M. Montgomery Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2017. Read more here.

Charlene Carruthers ‘07 was recently interviewed on PBS News Hour.

Beth Lanza ’07Joined The Center for Voice and Swallowing Disorders at The Ears, Nose, Throat, and Plastic Surgery Association in Orlando, Florida, as a speech language pathologist, in September 2019. Beth earned a master’s degree in communication disorders at Northern Illinois University in 2018 and, as part of her postgraduate work, started Bridges Choir, a choir for adults with language and cognitive communication disorders. After graduate school, Beth completed her clinical fellowship at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, receiving training at the Voice and Upper Airways Clinic as well as the Neurogenic Communication Disorders Clinic. Congratulations Beth!

Todd Kumler ’07 Presented virtually on May 26th, and gave an overview of the economics consulting industry, including the types of projects that economics consultants work on and the day-to-day life of an economics consultant. His presentation also discussed opportunities at economics consulting firms for undergraduates and the types of candidates recruited by these firms. Thank you Todd!

A big thank you to Tyler Smith ’07, who spoke on March 3rd to students and shared information on his work in investments, career opportunities in the field, and answered any questions students might have had. He is an Investment Professional with State Farm and obtained his MBA in Finance in 2012.