MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – – Western Illinois University Associate Provost and Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies & Strategic Planning Mark Mossman has been chosen to partake in the year-long senior administrator’s program, Becoming a Provost Academy (BAPA) 2023, organized by the American Association of State Colleges and University (AASCU). The program commenced July 21. “It is a great honor to be a part of the Academy,” said Mossman. “I have already been engaged in wide-ranging discussions about the significance of public higher... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – – Western Illinois University, in partnership with Blackhawk Community College and local school districts, received a $1.4 million National Science Foundation grant to address teacher shortages in high-needs school districts. The grant will award 24 NOYCE STEM Teacher Scholarships over the next five years, and three scholars have already been selected for the Fall 2023 semester. The scholarships cover costs associated with tuition, fees and housing. Scholars who apply could receive over $30,000 in scholarships. NOYCE scholars will receive up to two and a half years... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – – Western Illinois University has named Zach Messersmith director of Governmental Relations, effective Aug. 1. “I am humbled and honored to join Western Illinois University,” said Messersmith. “Western is a special institution providing academic excellence and extraordinary educational opportunities. As the Director of Government Relations, I will use my knowledge and experience to connect elected officials with the WIU community. I look forward to contributing to Western’s vibrant and thriving culture. Messersmith graduated from Illinois... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Beginning Monday, July 24, Tayler Onion will join Western Illinois University Athletics as the assistant athletic director for development. Prior to coming to WIU, Onion had been the head of curriculum development for Game Plan in Tampa, FL, since January 2022. She has also served as an assistant director for Student-Athlete Enhancement for the University of South Florida from 2017-21; and the athletic academic advisor/DAWG coordinator for Southern Illinois University from 2016-17. “I am excited to welcome Tayler to our Alumni and Development team,” said WIU Foundation... Read More

One candidate will interview Tuesday, July 11 for the open director position in the Western Illinois University Institutional Research and Planning office. The candidate is Palmer College of Chiropractic Senior Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness Dustin C. Derby. He has held that position since July 2007. Derby has also served as the Human Subjects Protection Administrator at Palmer since 2017; the coordinator of Student Activities, Recruitment and Retention at Sauk Valley Community College from June 2002-04; and assistant director of student activities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – – Western Illinois University has been on a mission to enhance its reputation as a top-tier educational institution. In 2017, WIU introduced the Learning Assistant Program (LAP), a peer-based initiative aimed at promoting active and collaborative learning in the classroom. Since its inception, the program has yielded impressive results, including improved student grades and a significant uptick in Engineering program retention rates. The LAP was specifically designed to ensure students remain engaged and focused on conceptual learning. Undergraduate Learning Assistants... Read More

In an effort to teach and perform more diverse styles of singing, a member of Western Illinois University’s Music faculty has established the non-profit, professional vocal ensemble, withonevoice. Imagine hearing an ensemble belt out a musical theatre and directly follow it with a traditional choral standard in a completely different, Lutheran-style voice quality. The ensemble’s mission is to gather a group of artists capable of authentic, sustainable singing in multiple voice qualities, and educate future generations of singers and teachers in this pedagogy. The ensemble, run by WIU... Read More

After two years of extensive work, the Alexander County city of Cairo, IL, will open a cooperative grocery store this month, thanks to assistance from the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University and its Illinois Cooperative Development Center (ICDC). Through a project, headed by Sean Park, ICDC Manager, the store will hold its grand opening Friday, June 16, in an area that was previously considered to be a “food desert.” The partnership between the IIRA and the city of Cairo began in 2021, after Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton asked Park to reach out to Cairo Mayor... Read More

Interim Western Illinois University Campus Recreation Center Director Brian Thomas has been named the permanent director, effective May 1. Thomas has served as interim director of Campus Recreation since June 2022. He was hired as the center’s assistant director in January 2018, and was promoted to associate director in January 2021. He has also previously served as a fitness coordinator and head personal trainer at the McDonough County YMCA, and was an adjunct instructor in WIU’s Kinesiology department in 2022. Thomas received his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and his... Read More

MOLINE, IL – – Western Illinois University’s Environmental Science: Large River Ecosystems program is working with the city of Moline to study the concentration of phosphorus in the Rock River. “This is a proactive effort to determine how pending regulatory changes might affect the South Slope Sewage Treatment Plant,” said WIU Environmental Science Director Roger Viadero. The project will consist of student-led groups testing water for basic quality parameters, in addition to nutrients and chlorophyll, which can be an indicator of elevated phosphorus in water. This... Read More