Category Archives: Faculty

Faculty, Staff Chosen for Morocco Initiative

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Seven members of Illinois Wesleyan University have been chosen to travel to Morocco this summer as part of the IWU Faculty/Staff Seminar, also known as the Morocco Initiative. Five faculty members and two staff members will spend a week in June at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, helping to develop cross-continental ties between the universities.

The faculty and staff chosen are: Academic Outreach Librarian and Associate Professor Lynda Duke, Environmental Studies Chair and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Abigail Jahiel, Hispanic Studies Chair and Professor Carolyn Nadeau, Associate Professor of Economics Ilaria Osella-Durbal, Associate Professor of Economics Diego Mendez-Carbajo, University of Communications Staff Writer Rachel Hatch and Staff Counselor Robyn Walter. Those chosen will spend the spring semester preparing for the journey to Morocco through research and readings.

Folse Continues Fellowship Legacy

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University’s Associate Professor of Nursing Victoria Folse has been awarded a State of Illinois Nurse Educator Fellowship from the Illinois Center for Nursing (ICN). The purpose of the Nurse Educator Fellowship Program is to ensure the retention of well-qualified nursing faculty at institutions of higher learning that award degrees in nursing. Folse will receive $10,000 to be used for faculty development.

Earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Illinois Wesleyan in 1986, Folse received her master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1989, and her doctorate from Saint Louis University in 2002. She came to Illinois Wesleyan in 2002, after teaching at Bradley University and coordinating programs for OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, both in Peoria.

A member of the Academy for Eating Disorders, the International Orem Society, and the Midwest Nursing Research Society, Folse has been honored as a Leadership for Academic Nursing Program 2008 Fellow from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She is also a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Diaz Receives NEA Fellowship

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University’s Assistant Professor of English Joanne Diaz has been awarded a $25,000 fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) for her poetry.

Diaz is one of only 42 writers across the nation receiving the NEA Literature Fellowships for 2009. The NEA calls the fellowships “the most direct investment in American creativity.” NEA Chairman Dana Gioia said, “These grants are an investment in our nation’s culture, and I’m proud to say that the return on that investment benefits Americans from coast to coast.”

Joining the Illinois Wesleyan English Department in 2008, Diaz teaches courses in creative writing and literature.

Boyd Accepts Associate Provost Position

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Frank Boyd, the associate dean of faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University, has accepted the position of associate provost for academic planning and standards. Boyd will assume the post in August of 2009, replacing Roger Schnaitter, who returns to the classroom as a member of the psychology faculty.

Boyd joined the political science faculty at Illinois Wesleyan in 1995, and later served as the department chair. Prior to coming to the University, he taught at Olgethorpe University in Atlanta, Ga., and Georgia State University. Boyd earned his bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Alabama in 1989, and his doctorate in political science from Emory University in Atlanta in 1996.

A popular teacher on campus, Boyd was named Illinois Wesleyan Professor of the Year by the Student Senate in 1997 and again in 1999.

Frick Named Accreditation Consultant-Evaluator

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Associate Provost for Academic Services Jeff Frick has been named a consultant-evaluator in the Peer Review Corps of The Higher Learning Commission.

The Commission is an independent corporation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which evaluates and offers guidance to higher education institutions working toward accreditation. As a consultant-evaluator, Frick will travel to colleges and universities as part of a team of Peer Review Corps members to determine if criteria for accreditation are being met.

“The idea behind accreditation is to ensure universities and colleges are meeting expectations in areas such as integrity, student learning, effective teaching and service,” said Frick, who finished the intensive training to become a consultant-evaluator in November. “More than a checklist of what they do and don’t need to have, accreditation is proof that an institution is working to meet the needs of its various constituents.”

Frick will travel to one or two peer institutions a year within the 19 states covered by The Higher Learning Commission. Along with evaluating institutions, Frick and his fellow consultants will provide ideas to help with improvement. “A major focus of the Commission is continuous improvement,” said Frick. “We will be there to offer suggestions and help institutions think toward the future.”

University’s Global Initiative Includes Travel to Morocco

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University will be sending faculty and staff to Morocco as part of a new joint seminar that is laying the groundwork for exchanges between universities in the Islamic countries and Illinois Wesleyan.

Those involved in the seminar will prepare for the trip during the spring semester at the Illinois Wesleyan campus and then spend a week in Morocco in June. The seminar is part of the University’s ongoing effort to promote international understanding and opportunities. Applications for those interested in the seminar are available on the Staff Council Web site, and due December 1. An informational meeting for faculty and staff will be Monday, November 17 at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of the Minor Myers, jr. Welcome Center.

Illinois Wesleyan has recently established ties with universities in the Middle East and will establish ties with universities in India. Members of the administration have made visits to Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, and both Al Zaytoona University and Arab Open University in Amman, Jordan.

Faculty Recommend Places in China to Experience

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Whether it is majestic mountains, lush rice paddies or ancient temples, the word China invokes images both striking and intriguing. With the introduction of Chinese language classes this fall at Illinois Wesleyan, students are making a deeper discovery of China, a country that is a combination of thousands of years of history, and at the same time a modern global power. We asked professors who have knowledge of China to share their favorite places.

Professor Mohan Awarded Green Chemistry Grant

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Professor of Chemistry Ram Mohan has received a research grant for his work in green chemistry from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest research-based biomedical and pharmaceutical company. The grant consists of $5,000 earmarked for green chemistry research and education and an invitation to speak about his research at next year’s Green Chemistry Symposium to be held at the Pfizer St. Louis site.

Green chemistry focuses on the development of processes that reduce the use and production of hazardous chemicals.

The Pfizer-St. Louis Chemistry Research Grant originates from Pfizer’s annual Green Chemistry Symposium. In this symposium awards are presented to Pfizer teams who have emphasized green chemistry in their work. Winners of these awards have grants awarded to different academic institutions each year, Mohan was chosen as the recipient this year.

Mohan plans to use the grant to purchase specialty chemicals and pay a student researcher this summer. His research students will also be able to attend the Green Chemistry Symposium next fall to learn more about green chemistry and meet chemists to discuss their work.

“I feel students are the most important component of all my research and so most of this money will be used in ways that can enrich their experience and raise awareness for the environment,” said Mohan.

Professor to Retire After 37 Years

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Over the years Bruce B. Criley has been with Illinois Wesleyan University, he has seen many advances in the field of biology. “What is terribly exciting about being a biologist is there is so much growth and change in the field,” said Criley. “No matter how long you teach it, you feel as though you are part of something dynamic and alive, because you are – with discoveries from DNA to genetic research.”

Criley, chair of the Illinois Wesleyan University Biology Department from 1971 to 2002, will be retiring at the end of this semester after 37 years. A winner of the University’s top teaching prize, Criley has been the George C. and Ella Beach Lewis Endowed Chair of Biology for the past 29 years.

During his tenure with the University, he has watched the Biology Department grow. “Our first years here, we could invite the entire Biology Department to our house for a get together,” said Norma Criley, Bruce’s wife and a fellow Illinois Wesleyan biology instructor who retired in May. “These days we would not even have room for the seniors majoring in biology.”

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> Read reflections from the Crileys

> Symposium Honors Crileys

Illinois Wesleyan Adds Chinese Language, Culture to Classes

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Olympic flame may be extinguished in Beijing, but China will still be on the minds of students at Illinois Wesleyan.

This fall, Illinois Wesleyan University has added the Chinese to the language classes offered to students. The addition is timely, and needed, said Sonja Fritzsche, co-chair of the Modern and Classical Languages and Literature Department (MCLL) at Illinois Wesleyan. “No one can deny China is increasing in importance globally,” said Fritzsche. “More students are looking to understand China and learn the language.”

Chinese 101 is currently being offered this fall, with plans for Chinese 102 to be offered spring semester. Visiting Instructor Kelly Changjun Huo joined the faculty this fall to teach the language courses. Along with the language classes, Huo will also be teaching two Chinese culture classes, an ancient Chinese culture course in the fall semester, and a modern Chinese culture course in the spring.

“The history of China plays a big role in China today,” said Huo, who comes to Illinois Wesleyan from The Ohio State University, where she earned her doctorate in teaching the Chinese language. “It is important for students to know of China’s many accomplishments over its 5,000-year history to understand modern-day China better.” The culture courses will focus on everything from literature, art and architecture, to food and festivals.

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