MACOMB, IL – For more than two decades, Western Illinois University’s annual spring performance of “The Vagina Monologues” has existed to serve two purposes: to stop violence against women and girls and to raise fund for the Western Illinois Regional Council-Community Action Agency (WIRC-CAA) Victim Services. Recently, WIU presented the WIRC-CAA Victim Services with a check for $1,270.50 from the Spring 2020 performance. “The Vagina Monologues” is part of V-Day, a global activist movement, stemming from playwright Eve Ensler’s award winning play and other artistic... Read More

MACOMB, IL – As first generation students, Western Illinois University Sociology Professor Emeritus and WIU Board of Trustees Chair Polly Radosh and Jeff Radosh struggled financially as they completed their college education. To help other first generation students and those with financial need, the Radoshes have established the Radosh Sociology Endowed Scholarship at WIU. Polly, who is the retired chair of Western’s former Department of Women’s Studies, began her teaching career at WIU in 1984 in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. During her 24-year tenure, she taught... Read More

MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic has openings for speech diagnostic evaluations from Tuesday Aug. 4-Friday, Aug. 21. There will be additional openings throughout the fall semester. The services are free to the WIU and Macomb communities and are used to determine whether or not a child or adult may be eligible for speech and/or language therapy services. The evaluations also play a significant role in educating WIU’s graduate students as they prepare to begin their careers as speech-language pathologists. For more information about the testing,... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Two Western Illinois University professor emeriti who have worked extensively on cultural diversity issues and programming have compiled a comprehensive reading list to deepen understanding of the pervasive racism that has repeatedly led to violence against the Black community. “Given all that has been going on in the USA related to the treatment of African Americans the past few weeks, not to mention the previous 400 years, we would like to provide resources to the WIU community that further awareness and understanding of the systematic oppression and racism that is... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – To keep the Western Illinois University community apprised of the search process for WIU’s 12th president, a presidential search website has been created. The site will provide updates to the search, including the search timeline, position announcement and more. The site can be accessed from a tab on Western’s homepage, in the News/Events section. The direct link for the presidential search website is wiu.edu/presidentialsearch. The search committee is co-chaired by WIU Board of Trustees Chair Polly Radosh and Faculty Senate Chair Christopher Pynes. The full committee... Read More

MACOMB, IL – For the fourth year in a row, a member of Western Illinois University’s chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has been awarded a national fellowship to pursue graduate study. Mariah Dicksen, of Lockport, IL, who graduated from WIU in May with a degree in biology, has been awarded an $8,500 fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall. She was a member and a student vice president with the WIU Phi Kappa Phi chapter and a student in the Centennial Honors College. In 2019, Dicksen became the first female WIU student to win... Read More

MACOMB, IL – Despite classes at Western Illinois University being moved from campus to computer, a group of students studying in the health sciences area are helping on the front lines to complete their required practicums. Working at both local and statewide care centers students have been helping in health services management, public health (both graduate and undergraduate students) and social work. Before Alexis Clark received her degree in health services management in May, she completed an internship with WIU’s Beu Health Center. She said the pandemic greatly impacted her duties at... Read More

MACOMB, MOLINE, IL – Students in Western Illinois University’s Department of Communication Social Media Lab have been working on a campaign to encourage the University communities in Macomb and the Quad Cities to wear protective masks. Using the hastags #maskupmacomb #maskupwiu and #maskupqc, WIU Associate Professor of Communication Josh Averbeck and students Josh Brennan, a senior communication major, of Davenport, IA, and Elizabeth Lutz, a senior communication major, of California, MO, have been promoting the campaign on various social media outlets. “There are many Mask Up campaigns... Read More

MACOMB, IL – Despite classes at Western Illinois University being moved from campus to computer, a group of students studying in the health sciences area are helping on the front lines to complete their required practicums. Working at both local and statewide care centers students have been helping in health services management, public health (both graduate and undergraduate students) and social work. Before Alexis Clark received her degree in health services management in May, she completed an internship with WIU’s Beu Health Center. She said the pandemic greatly impacted her duties at... Read More

MACOMB, IL – Sarah Ritter, Western Illinois University Visual Production Center manager, and Rachael Keating, VPC digital imaging specialist, each captured fifth place in the University Photographers’ Association of America (UPAA) Annual Photo Competition. Ritter placed for her photo of WIU student and President of WIU’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Club Brock Daley in the Sports Features & Illustration category, while Keating placed for her photo “Victory at the Finish Line,” featuring WIU Track & Field Student Athlete Kameron Morgan in the Sports Action category. More... Read More