Jamie Gradishar ’17

Jamie Gradishar ’17 competes in the pole vault at the I-55 Triangular on Jan. 21 at the Shirk Center. The men’s and women’s indoor track teams claimed five first-place finishes at the meet.

(Photo by Sports Information Director Stew Salowitz ’76)

Brittany Straznickas ’17

Brittany Straznickas ’17 presented a poster at the annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology in New Orleans in early January. Straznickas’s work as a Bruce and Norma Criley Summer Research Fellow helped inform the research presented through her conference poster, which was entitled “Feeding on the unseen: Ingestion and assimilation of bacteriophages by Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera),” which was co-authored by Professor of Biology William Jaeckle. Straznickas said her experience at the national conference helped her realize that there are often more questions than answers in science. After graduation, the biology major plans to work as a medical scribe for a year before applying to medical school. 

Kristin Solodar ’17

As she was measured for her graduation cap by a Herff Jones representative, theatre arts major Kristin Solodar ’17 expressed conflicting emotions about her upcoming Commencement. “I’m excited for the new opportunities [graduation will bring], but I’m not excited to live more than five minutes away from my friends,” she said. “I’m trying to make the most of my remaining time with them.”

(Photo by Vi Kakares ’20)

Nancy Qu ’17

Art major Nancy Qu ’17 flameworks glass at a Carlisle CC torch as she learns how to manipulate a clear rod of glass to create sculpture. The School of Art now has a designated flameworking area — complete with a new ventilation system and lighting as well as a flameworking kiln used to heat and cool the students’ works of art in glass. The new area is a “really exciting and great place to work,” said Adjunct Assistant Professor Carmen Lozar, who teaches the course “3-Dimensional Glass.”

(Photo by Robert Frank III ’14)

IWU Senior Swimmers

Both the Men’s and Women’s swim teams defeated Millikin University and North Central College in double-dual action.  Seniors Andrew Younger, Ryan O’Toole, Meg Stanley, Baylee Hoecker, and Savannah Feher all placed first during the meet.  Read the full article here.