Illinois Wesleyan 2013 graduate and former basketball player Michelle Bilek has been named Director of Basketball Operations at Division I Columbia University in New York City.

Bilek’s hiring was announced by Columbia women’s basketball head coach Stephanie Glance, who was at Illinois State until accepting the job with the Ivy League Lions earlier this spring.

Bilek’s responsibilities include coordination of travel arrangements, assisting in the organization of practice, budget management, alumni relations video coordination and special projects.

“Michelle is a great addition to our staff,” Glance said. “She is a person of strong character, has great work ethic and a passion to be in the coaching profession. She is a young, talented, highly skilled individual who will be a tremendous asset for Columbia women’s basketball program.”

June 2013

Illinois Wesleyan senior Tara Clemens has been elected to the first team of the Capital One Academic All-District® 7 women’s track & field/cross country team and has been elected to the second team of the Capital One Academic All-American® squads for women’s track & field/cross country. Clemens is the 115th Illinois Wesleyan Academic All-American® since the program began in 1970, a total that is 12th among all participating colleges and universities.

The 2013 Capital One Academic All-District ® women’s track & field/cross country teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) at their current institution.  The District 7 team includes athletes from Division III schools in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Jacob Starcevich’13 and Thomas John Laughlin ’14 coauthored an article with Ram Mohan, the Wendell and Loretta Hess Professor of Chemistry at IWU, titled “Iron (III) Tosylate Catalyzed Synthesis of 3, 4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)- ones/thiones via The Bignelli Reaction,” which was published in the peer reviewed journalTetrahedron Letters in 2013.

Morgan celebrates her recent graduation. Congrats to all of the graduating class of 2013!