Jessica Pearce ’09 has received the Doctor of Musical Art Degree in Horn Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign this past December.

During her career, Dr. Pearce has been the principal horn of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra, Assistant Principal of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and guest principal of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra. She has also appeared with regional symphonies in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa.  Before working on her doctorate, she was the horn instructor at the Metropolis School of the Performing Arts in Arlington Heights and at Lake Zurich School District #95.  She is currently adjunct instructor of French horn at both Eastern Illinois University in Charleston and at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Congratulations, Jessica!

Andrew Herrington-Gilmore ’09 and his wife Lauren welcomed a baby boy, Jay Andrew Gilmore, on December 31, 2018.

Congratulations to the Gilmore family!

Katie Stankiewicz ’09 was recently hired by the Big Ten Conference as the assistant director of the sports administration. Read more about Katie’s accomplishment here.

Congratulations, Katie!

Andrea Eaton ’09 married Christopher Aguirre May 12, 2018.

Carly Calkins ’09 graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Communication on August 3, 2018 with a Master of Science in Communication degree.

Lauren Romano ’09 has been cast alongside fellow IWU alum, Jenilee Houghton ’05, in the upcoming Big Noise Theatre production of Kiss Me, Kate running September 21 – October 7, 2018.

Here is a link to more information.

Purchase tickets here.

Congratulations, Lauren!

We are very sorry to inform you that Professor Elizabeth (Susie) Balser,  faculty member in Biology for more than 20 years, passed away last month following an extended illness. Susie was recognized as an expert on the anatomy of echinoderms. Her passion for invertebrate animals inspired the creation of three new courses at IWU. Both as an instructor and as a research mentor, Susie challenged students to carefully study the natural world and make their own discoveries.