Western Illinois University Associate Professor of Anthropology and Chemistry Andrea Alveshere will join two research partners to present their findings at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA) conference in Denver, CO this week. An online conference will be held the following week. Their research presents new revelations about the genes and knowledge systems of our earliest human ancestors and has relevance – not only as a fascinating discovery about ancient humans – but also to timely questions about effective strategies and priorities in our modern educational... Read More

Is pink a girl’s color? Is pink a boy’s color? In the past few years, pink has become a hot fashion choice for men. Pro basketball and soccer players are wearing pink shoes, rock stars like Machine Gun Kelly are wearing hot pink and playing pink guitars, and even football players are wearing pink to ostensibly raise awareness for breast cancer. Some people are aghast at that. But why? Historically, that’s a very masculine choice. In the 19th and 20th centuries up through the 1940s, pink was considered a color for boys, as it was the lighter version of red, which was considered... Read More

The Development Association of Rock Island, Inc. (DARI) is launching a scholarship program providing two $5,000 scholarships to Rock Island high school seniors to help kick off its community marketing campaign “Why Rock Island.” Applicants are asked to usetheir imagination to create a video or other visual that tells the story Why Rock Island is a great place to live, work and play. DARI will then use the stories to help market Rock Island. The deadline for applications is April 22nd. The scholarship was created using proceeds from the Divots FORE DARI golf outing that DARI hosted in 2021.... Read More

The 50th annual Western Illinois University Performance Tested Bull Sale was held March 11 at Lowderman Auction Center in Macomb. The event had 60 registered buyers from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri and Iowa, and sold 35 yearling Angus, Red Angus, Charolais, Simmental and SimAngus bulls across the five states. The bulls averaged $4,073 in this year’s sale, which is record-breaking, averaging almost $1,000 higher per bull than in 2021. The top sale was an Angus bull consigned by Marda Angus, of Lodi, WI, Marda Black Pearl 1905, which sold for $9,500 to Larry O’Hern of Vermont,... Read More

Western Illinois University has partnered with Illinois Central College and its Motorcycle Safety Program to offer motorcycle safety courses to the public, as well as to WIU students. The Motorcycle Safety Program was seeking an alternative location for its Macomb classes, which will be offered during the summer months and weekends on campus. The classes are free for beginning and experienced riders, and are offered at 50 locations across Illinois. Each class will be offered in Q-Lot. WIU students are invited to take the coursework and instruction needed to obtain their motorcycle license. The... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – The Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) and the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Western Illinois University are introducing Maria Ramos as a new business advisor for the Illinois SBDC at WIU’s Quad Cities campus. Ramos, who joins Assistant Director Ann Friederichs in the QCs office, is bilingual (Spanish) and will be in charge of minority outreach and community engagement. She will also be helping Quad City entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Ramos has served as a graduate assistant for the Illinois SBDC at WIU-QC for the past... Read More

Western Illinois University’s School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration has been named the best online criminal justice degree in Illinois for 2021. WIU was ranked number one out of the 10 schools on the list compiled by Criminal Justice Degree Hub, who used data from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and Niche to rank programs according to tuition, reputation and graduate salary. “I am pleased to receive this recognition as the number one online criminal justice program in Illinois,” said School of LEJA Director Jill Myers. “We continuously... Read More

Western Illinois University will host a faculty panel discussion to provide historical, geopolitical and religious context for the ongoing situation in Ukraine from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24 in the University Union’s Sandburg Theater. WIU Department of History Interim Chair Tim Roberts will moderate three brief presentations, followed by a discussion and question and answer session. Panelists include: • Liberal Arts and Sciences Coordinator and Religious Studies Professor Betsy Perabo, who has taught at WIU since 2005. Her research focuses on religion and war and she is the author... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University Construction Project Coordinator Derek Willey has been named the Al and Elaine Goldfarb Civil Service Employee of the Month for February 2022. Willey was hired for his current position in October 2020. According to his nominator, Willey is knowledgeable and always eager to help. “In the year and a half he has been in Facilities Management, he has worked on several large construction projects, all over campus that have impacted scores of people,” his nominator said. “We are impressed with the designs he has created for the Horn... Read More

As the Western Illinois University Spring 2022 semester progresses toward spring break, March 14-18, COVID-19 campus procedures have been amended to continue to ensure the health and safety of the members of University community. Spring Break Week Testing Center Hours WIU-Macomb (register in advance at bit.ly/WIUCOVID19Testing): Student Recreation Center MAC Gym (south gym) Monday, March 14: 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Beginning Monday, March 21, the WIU Macomb Testing Center Hours will be adjusted to 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday for the reminder of the spring semester. If individuals are unable to make... Read More