Dr. Erick Henderson ’12 was named the 2021 Young Optometrist of the Year by the American Optometric Association.
Read more on Danville native wins Young Optometrist of the Year from Commercial-News
Illinois Wesleyan alumna Torri “T.J.” Newman ’06 signed a seven-figure, two-book deal with Simon & Schuster’s Avid Reader Press, and Universal Pictures won a bidding war for the screen rights for her debut novel, Falling.
Newman will discuss her book at a hybrid in-person and streaming event on Monday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Find more information or register.
Brita Sandstrom ’11 penned her debut novel Hollow Chest, a modern folktale for middle grade readers published by Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Read more on Hollow Chest from Walden Media
Mike Palackdharry ’85 was appointed executive vice president, growth and strategy, by AssureCare, a leader in population health and care management solutions.
Read more on Mike Palackdharry Joins AssureCare® Executive Team from Cision PR Newswire
Kristian Avise-Rouse ’20 was named music director at Columbia High School in Columbia, Illinois.
Read more on CHS grad taking over as music director from Republic-Times
Dr. Beth Mulberry ’86 was featured in the journal’s “Outstanding Women in Business” series.
Read more on Outstanding Women in Business 2021: Dr. Beth Mulberry from Triad Business Journal
Actress Kira Rangel ’20 was featured in a weekly Artists in Conversation column, discussing her career and how she managed the pandemic.
Read more on Kira Rangel Is Quickly Making An Impression With Quad-Cities Audiences from Quad-Cities.com
Shana (Bushyhead) Condill ’99 was appointed executive director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Read more on Museum of the Cherokee Indian announces appointment of new executive director at Cherokee One Feather
Jacklynn (Wilson) Lesniak ’86 was named chief nursing officer for FirstHealth of the Carolinas.
Read more on North Carolina health system names CNO from Becker’s Hospital Review.
After earning a coveted spot in the Music International Grand Prix Solo Competition finals, music education major Lindsay Ring ’21 went on to win first place in the competition’s Young Adult Winds and Brass category.
Read more on Ring ’21 Wins Young Adult Winds and Brass Category at International Competition
Among the 2021 partners and principals announced by PwC, Rod Adams ’95 has been named a principal and Jill Jackson ’04 has been named a partner.
Abby Reel ’04, owner of the Barn III in Goodfield, was featured in a story about the resurgence of wedding events as COVID restrictions ease.
Read more on After COVID, Central Illinois restarts weddings from The Panagraph
Retired Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit Beth Robb ’78 was among those selected to lead panels to propose redistricted maps for the McLean County Board. The panels also include Karla Bailey-Smith ’90 and Illinois Wesleyan Professor of Political Science Greg Shaw.
Read more on Retired judges will lead new McLean County Board maps process from The Panagraph
Josh Yount ’95 has been named to the Illinois Wesleyan University Board of Trustees. Additionally, 11 current Board members were re-elected for three-year terms, and Board officers and committee chairs have been re-elected for the 2021-22 academic year.
Read more on New Illinois Wesleyan Trustee Named, Officers Elected
Gary Johnson ’75 penned a memoir detailing his legal career, Luck is a Talent: The True Story of a Trial Lawyer’s Experience Defending an Innocent Man Charged with Murder.
Read more Constable: Nicarico case at center of lawyer’s diverse career on from Daily Herald
Green Africa Airways, a startup airline founded by Babawande Afolabi ’10, has taken delivery of its second airplane.
Read more on After Returning From US, Man Starts Airline Company, to Begin Local Flight Operations from Briefly.
Jenise Klein ’06 has been promoted at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty to the role of North America regional head of property.
Read more on AGCS introduces new North America regional head of property from Insurance Business America.
Gerald Lee ’97, a professor of piano at West Liberty University, will perform at the Gold Derrick Gallery in Sistersville, West Virginia, as part of the ArtsLink’s Concert Series.
Read more on Concert pianist Gerald Lee to perform in Sistersville from the Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Nicolette Larsen ’16, an adult medical-surgical nurse at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, Illinois, was among those recognized in Kenosha News’ “Salute to Nurses.”
Read more on Love of kids drives Nicolette Larsen’s nursing career from Kenosha News
A photography exhibit from Karl Smith ’89 on display at the McLean County Arts Center documents his life as a Type 1 diabetic, from diagnosis at age 15 to organ transplant at age 50.
Read more on Datebook: Photographer Catalogs The ‘Stuff’ That Kept Him Alive With Type I Diabetes from WGLT-Radio
Rod Adams ’95, a talent acquisition leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, offered insight to new graduates as they prepare for their first job searches. Adams is a former recipient of Illinois Wesleyan’s Robert M. Montgomery Young Alumni Award.
Read more on How to Prep for Your First Job Search: A Two-Day Boot Camp from the Wall Street Journal.
Torri “T.J.” Newman ’06 used her experiences as a flight attendant as material for her first novel, which just helped her earn a seven-figure book deal.
Read more on ‘Jaws at 35,000 feet’: the flight attendant whose debut thriller sold for seven figures from The Guardian.
Illinois Wesleyan launched the Class of 2021 into the world, and welcomed back the Class of 2020 for an overdue celebration.
A baseball lover and coach, Mike Brown ’92, touched countless lives through the game he loved. Brown died unexpectedly at his home in Bloomington on April 21 at the age of 51.
Read more on Kindred: Mike Brown was tough and tender, and the best friend baseball ever had from The Pantagraph
Meghan (Henwood) Burgess ’15, a fifth-grade teacher at Champaign’s Holy Cross Elementary School, was featured as The News-Gazette’s “Teacher of the Week.”
Read more on Teacher of the Week: Meghan Burgess from The News-Gazette