In a message from Western Illinois President Guiyou Huang, he mentions that WIU students and staff are expected to be vaccinated against covid going into the fall semester. His message in full, released yesterday, reads: Dear University Community, As we prepare to resume the traditional in-person experience this fall at Western Illinois University, to further safeguard the members of our WIU family (and beyond), we expect members of our University community to get their COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start of the semester, which begins August 23. Getting vaccinated will help our communities mitigate... Read More

Ashley Katz, interim director of the University Union at Western Illinois University, has been named the director of the Union, effective July 1. Katz has served as interim director of the University Union at WIU since January 2020, and has also served as assistant director of the Union since April 2015 and as the facilities manager for the building from May 2011-April 2015. She has also served as a member of the COVID-19 response team since March 2020, coordinating the University’s event guidelines and protocols. She began working at WIU in July 2009 as a space administrator 1 in Scheduling... Read More

A Western Illinois University School of Agriculture alumna has been chosen to attend a 10-day training at Texas State University (TSU) to bring more detailed agriculture mechanics skills to her high school students in Chester, IL. Emily Millburg, a 2019 graduate with a degree in agriculture education, is in her second year as an agriculture teacher at Chester High School near St. Louis, MO. Between July 25-Aug. 5, Millburg will attend the Agriculture Mechanics Academy at TSU, which will include training in small gas engines, electricity and welding. “The Academy is geared toward providing... Read More

Western Illinois University emergency management students, along with professional emergency personnel and educators, have the benefit of hands-on training and numerous other learning opportunities as a result of a collaborative partnership between the WIU GIS Center, WIU School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA)‘s emergency management degree program and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute (ILETSBEI) based at WIU. Recently, a hands-on (drone) sUAS Flight Operations Course was held on the WIU-Macomb campus, where participants learned... Read More

A Western Illinois University junior music education major is transitioning the lessons from her academic experience into leading a children’s theatre production. “The Odd Kingdom” was written by and is being directed by Racquel Rawlins, of Beardstown. Rawlins said the park district’s program director asked her to stage a children’s production this summer because of her experience leading a choir for young girls in the area. “I had directed shows previously to raise money for the opera house,” she said. The show, which includes 14 area children ranging... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – As the “to mask or not to mask” debate rages on amidst the ongoing pandemic Western Illinois University Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) Professor Dean Alexander, who also leads WIU’s Homeland Security Research Program, and LEJA Professor Christopher Bitner have researched the challenges of mask enforcement. Their work was recently published in the June issue of Security magazine. In May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a significant change in its COVID-19 mask mandated policy. Namely, the CDC stated that... Read More

A Western Illinois University School of Agriculture alumna has been chosen to attend a 10-day training at Texas State University (TSU) to bring more detailed agriculture mechanics skills to her high school students in Chester, IL. Emily Millburg, a 2019 graduate with a degree in agriculture education, is in her second year as an agriculture teacher at Chester High School near St. Louis, MO. Between July 25-Aug. 5, Millburg will attend the Agriculture Mechanics Academy at TSU, which will include training in small gas engines, electricity and welding. “The Academy is geared toward providing... Read More

Western Illinois University fire science majors, within the WIU School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA), recently underwent rigorous testing for Basic Firefighters and Hazardous Materials Operations Certifications as part of the Illinois Fire Service Institute’s (IFSI) Pro-Board Certification process. During the Spring 2021 semester, freshman fire science students traveled to Quincy to participate in a six-week, hands-on program focusing on a range of active fire situations including exposure to live fire, drills, hose advancement, ladder deployment, search and rescue... Read More

The family cattle operation, run by two Western Illinois University alumni, has been recognized as the 2021 Illinois Beef Association Commercial Producer of the Year. Larry Joe O’Hern, a 1982 agriculture graduate, and his son, Patrick, a 2004 agriculture graduate, are two of the owners of O’Hern Stock Farms, a 5,000-acre operation. Both men were members of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity during their time as students at WIU. O’Hern Farms was nominated for the award based on its operation in Vermont, IL, about 30 miles southeast of Macomb. In addition to raising cattle, the operation... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — For 11 years running, Western Illinois University has been selected as a Military Times “Best for Vets College” by Military Times magazine. Western is one of two Illinois public institutions in the top 25. According to the Military Times, 136 schools – from four-year to two-year, public, private and trade schools – responded to a survey detailing programs, policies and resources for veterans. Institutions were evaluated in five categories: university culture, student support, academic policies, academic outcomes/quality, and cost and financial aid. “Western... Read More