Author Archives: Ann Aubry

IWU Faculty Member Named Provost and Dean of the College at Lycoming College

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Thomas Griffiths, the Earl H. and Marion A. Beling Professor of Natural Science at Illinois Wesleyan, has been named Provost and Dean of the College at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa. The appointment was announced Monday by Lycoming President James E. Douthat.

Griffiths was selected to become Provost at Lycoming from more than 100 candidates following a four-month national search. He also will serve as a Professor of Biology when his new appointment begins July 1, 2007.

“Dr. Griffiths brings many talents and experiences with him from Illinois Wesleyan University,” Douthat said. “The combination of his years in the classroom, his scholarly research and his administrative experiences has prepared him well for his new role as Lycoming’s chief academic officer.”

Griffiths began teaching at Illinois Wesleyan in 1981. His administrative roles at the University have included Acting Dean of the Faculty, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Director of the Andrew W. Mellon Center for Teaching and Curriculum Development.

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Volunteering Highlights Study Abroad Experience for IWU Sophomore

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Lauren Booth, an Illinois Wesleyan University sophomore, is finding her study abroad program is about more than textbooks and tourist sites – it’s also about a hammer and nails. Booth is part of a new kind of study abroad opportunity allowing students to perform volunteer work in the developing nations where they study.

“I wanted to experience life in a developing country, and I knew there were volunteer options integrated into the program,” said Booth, a Hispanic studies major, who is currently studying in Santiago of the Dominican Republic.

Students in the program spend time with local residents. Booth, who arrived in the Dominican Republic in January of 2007, has been in the country for four months. During her time there, the Des Plaines, Ill., native has taught English to residents in Santiago, traveled to a rural village to build latrines with the Peace Corps, and helped at a local orphanage. “We painted furniture, cooked meals and played with the children,” said Booth of her time at the orphanage. “We also had a ‘salon day’ for the kids. It was an amazing experience.”

The goal of any study abroad program is to immerse students in the life and culture of a different country. In developing nations such as the Dominican Republic, that means seeing day-to-day struggles. “I learned first-hand the effects of extreme poverty,” said Booth. “I also learned about myself, and what I am capable of doing to help.”

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State Farm Provides Summer Internship Opportunity for Students

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Ten Illinois Wesleyan University students have been selected for the State Farm summer internship program, sponsored by the Action Research Center. The internship blends both for-profit and not-for-profit work to help students understand how both sectors work together to serve a shared community.

This year’s program participants, chosen on the basis of experience, skills, and interest in community work, are: Jack Bentley (junior political science major and philosophy minor from Downer’s Grove, Ill.), Chris Burrichter (junior political science major from Batavia, Ill.), Kyle Charles (political science major and sociology minor from Davenport, Iowa), Erin Cox (junior political science and Hispanic studies double major and art history minor from Rockford, Ill.), Josh Haraf (junior business administration-marketing major from Justice, Ill.), Diana Lopez (political science and philosophy double major from Aurora, Ill.), Emily Meade (sophomore business administration and music double major from Canton, Ill.), Katie Nelson (sophomore English-writing major and psychology minor from Mason City, Ill.), Jessica Olsen (junior English-literature and secondary education double major and German minor from Rockford, Ill.), and Jennifer Schnupp (junior psychology major and biology minor from Schaumburg, Ill.).

Interns will spend two days per week at a community partner organization such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Red Cross, and the Day Care Center of McLean County. The students will conduct program evaluations, devise return on investment models, assess community needs, participate in board development activities, and oversee resource management.

“The program is a valuable opportunity to serve the community and bring value to the students, university, partnership organizations and families they serve,” said Deborah Halperin at the Action Research Center.

Chemistry Professor Receives National Science Foundation Grant

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Associate Professor of Chemistry Ram Mohan has received a $380,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue his groundbreaking work on green chemistry. It is the largest grant in the history of the chemistry department.

The fact that NSF bestowed the grant is unique, said Mohan. “It is extremely unusual for a four-year school to receive a renewal grant,” he said. “The grants typically go to larger, research schools.” The money is a renewal grant for Mohan’s research. He received a $205,000 grant in 2003.

The grant is particularly exciting for Illinois Wesleyan, because it will enable Mohan to create a post-doctorate research fellowship, the first for the University. “We are delighted that a postdoctoral researcher will be joining Dr. Mohan’s team,” said Rebecca Roesner, IWU chemistry department chair. “This highly trained associate will allow Dr. Mohan to extend his research in new directions.”

Mohan, a member of the IWU faculty since 1996, works to discover environmentally friendly processes for chemists to use at pharmaceutical and other companies. “We do not create the life-saving drugs or the pesticides,” said Mohan. “We develop the processes that can be used to make products in a way that will not harm the environment.”

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