NEW FACES NEW PLACES – 2015 Please welcome our new colleagues! We wish to share with you the following information regarding new faculty and staff. Below is an alphabetical listing of staff who have joined us since our last meeting in August of 2014 and of faculty who are joining us this academic year. Bailey, Grant -­‐ Custodian, Physical Plant Illinois Wesleyan welcomed Grant to campus in June. He previously worked installing windows and siding; however, most recently Grant worked for The Toro Company, located in El Paso, Texas. Grant and his wife have three sons. He enjoys watching old movies and doing minor construction projects. Bertschi, Lydia A. -­‐ Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Nursing B.S.N. Illinois Wesleyan University, D.N.P. University of Illinois-­‐Chicago Lydia A. Bertschi received a BSN from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2005, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialization from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2012. Prior to joining the faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University in 2015, Dr. Bertschi worked as a staff nurse in critical care at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, IL (2005-­‐2010). During her years of graduate education at UIC, she was a graduate assistant (2010-­‐2011), and also taught at IWU (Visiting Instructor, 2011-­‐2012). Since 2012, Dr. Bertschi has worked at UnityPoint Health – Methodist as a nurse practitioner with the Pulmonology and Intensivist services. She has been active in humanitarian and medical relief for Haiti since 1998, including participation in numerous construction and short-­‐term medical mission teams (2006-­‐2010). She has also served as volunteer medical team coordinator for Hospital Lumiere in Bonne Fin, Haiti since 2013. She welcomes inquiries about short-­‐term medical missions to help serve the people of Haiti. She lives in Eureka and enjoys global travel opportunities and spending time with her family and friends. Browne, Katherine (Kate) -­‐ Technology Trainer, Information Technology Services B.A. and M.S. Illinois State University Kate joined Illinois Wesleyan in December. She put her technology skills to use while working in the office of the McLean County State’s Attorney and in the Illinois State University Writing Program. Kate is a third-­‐year Ph.D. student in English Studies at Illinois State University. Her research interests are technology and critical pedagogy, women’s life writing, and disability studies. Kate and her husband, Drew, have a young son named Duncan. Cook, Shawn -­‐ Groundsman, Physical Plant Illinois Wesleyan welcomed Shawn to campus in October. He brings with him a great deal of experience working in the landscaping field. He and h is wife, Natalie, have two daughters named Raylin and Calista. Shawn enjoys watching Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago Cubs games. He also enjoys barbequing with his dad using a smoker. Shawn’s favorite activities are those activities he shares with his daughters. Cowie, Bevin -­‐ Action Research Center Coordinator, Action Research Center B.S. Illinois Wesleyan University Prior to joining the Action Research Center in May, Bevin worked as the Director of Supported Employment at Marcfirst for four years. She managed a team of job coaches working to assist individuals with disabilities find and keep meaningful employment in the Bloomington/Normal community. Bevin and her fiancé, Alexander, have a rescue dog named Trevor. He is a Sheltie-­‐Beagle mix, full of personality. Recently, Bevin’s parents relocated to Normal and now they live in her neighborhood. Bevin enjoys working out and walking her dog. She also enjoys playing video games and planning future road trips with her fiancé. Deters, Jacob -­‐ Residence Director, Office of Residential Life A.S. Lincoln Land Community College, B.S. and M.S. Eastern Illinois University Jacob began his duties on campus in July. He enjoys spending time with his parents and two siblings. Jacob’s favorite activities are acting, singing, dancing, and spending time outdoors. He is a member of the American College Personnel Association. Evans, Margaret -­‐ Visiting Assistant Professor, Educational Studies B.A. University of Illinois Urbana-­‐Champaign, M.A. University of Illinois-­‐Chicago, Ph.D. University of Illinois Urbana-­‐ Champaign Maggie Evans is a researcher, and at heart, a teacher. She started her career as a middle school teacher in Chicago Public Schools and worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She then returned to her hometown and alma mater, the University of Illinois Urbana-­‐
Champaign to complete her doctoral degree. In graduate school, Maggie investigated how teachers interpreted and made decisions from students’ performance data, as a part of a Spencer Foundation grant. Outside of school, Maggie enjoys spending time with her husband and her baby girl. She is very excited to join the Illinois Wesleyan community! Faulkner, Aric -­‐ Assistant Director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Dean of Students A.A. Illinois Central College, B.A., and M.S. Illinois State University Earlier this month, Illinois Wesleyan welcomed Aric to campus. His educational background is in multicultural and international student affairs, women’s and gender studies, and community outreach. Aric is bilingual, speaking fluent Spanish. He enjoys spending time with his parents, three brothers, and his nieces and nephews. Aric is a member of the nation’s first and largest co-­‐educational Latino-­‐interest fraternity, Alpha Psi Lambda-­‐National, Inc. Folse, Richard (Dick) -­‐ Director of Grants and Foundation Relations, Grants and Foundation Relations B.A. Illinois Wesleyan University, M.F.A. Illinois State University For the past 14 years, Dick worked in the Illinois State University Extended University Office and most recently The Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He began his work at IWU in January. Dick and his wife, Vickie, have two daughters, Mason and Kennedy. His hobbies include artistic painting, music, and fencing. Dick serves as a board member for both the Western Avenue Community Center and the Milestones Early Learning Center and Preschool. Gray, Nickos -­‐ Custodian, Physical Plant Prior to being hired full-­‐time in June, Nickos spent several months working at Illinois Wesleyan University through a temporary agency. He enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and their three children. His hobbies include playing pool, swimming, playing basketball, and working out at the gym. Hanks, Carolyn -­‐ Accounts Payable Specialist, Business Office Carolyn began her new duties on campus in July. She previously worked in accounts payable at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center for 27 years. Carolyn and her husband, Robin, have been married for 22 years. She has two step-­‐daughters and nine grandchildren. Carolyn enjoys spending time with family, completing crossword puzzles, shopping, and travelling. She also enjoys collecting charms and miniature cups and saucers sets. Herald, Colleen -­‐ Assistant Director for Teacher Licensure and Assessment, Educational Studies B.M. Ed. DePaul University, M.Ed. Illinois State University, E.D. Illinois State University Illinois Wesleyan welcomed Colleen to campus in June. She previously worked in elementary education, music education, and adult literacy in Chicago and the Bloomington/Normal areas. Colleen also worked as a faculty member in the School of Teaching and Learning and as a coordinator of clinical placements at Illinois State University. She and her husband, Paul, have three sons and one daughter. Colleen enjoys reading and international travel. She serves on the advisory board at the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington/Normal. High, Ryan -­‐ Stage Carpenter, School of Theatre Arts A.A. Richland Community College, B.S. Illinois State University Earlier this month, Ryan began his work on campus. He has worked freelance in lighting design and as a lighting technician in the Chicago area. He also served as a backstage technician and rigger for various commercial and theatrical venues. Ryan’s hobbies include travel, being outdoors, movies, theatre, and Do-­‐It-­‐Yourself projects with his wife, Susan. Hill, Alanna -­‐ Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Dean of Students B.S. Indiana State University, M.A. Ball State University Illinois Wesleyan welcomed Alanna to campus in July. She has worked as a senior specialist of fraternity and sorority life, an assistant director of student involvement, and a student life counselor. Alanna enjoys camping and hiking with her nephews; Sigma Kappa activities; playing softball; and watching her favorite sports teams. She is a member of the following organizations: Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values, and Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education. Kennamann, Deborah -­‐ Student Accounts/Accounting Coordinator, Business Office B.S. Illinois State University Prior to joining Illinois Wesleyan in September, Deborah worked at Noah’s Ark Preschool. She also worked at National City Mortgage for 17 years. Deborah and her husband, Michael, have two sons, Alex and Spencer. Deborah enjoys watching the boys play baseball, hockey, and basketball. When she has some free time, Deborah enjoys crocheting. Line, Emily -­‐ Admission Counselor, Admissions B.A. Illinois Wesleyan University Emily began her campus duties earlier this month. She previously worked as an admissions advisor at Lake Superior State University. She enjoys reading, ice hockey, rock climbing, trivia, roller blading, and biking. Emily is a member of the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling and the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Mack, Carrie -­‐ Action Research Center Coordinator, Action Research Center B.S. Missouri State University, M.S. Seton Hall University Carrie joined the campus community in October. She and her husband spend their summers operating a lodge they own in Ontario, Canada. Morrison, Michael -­‐ Associate Director of Prospect Research, Management and Analytics, Advancement B.A. Illinois Wesleyan University, M.S. Illinois State University In June, Michael began his duties on campus. He previously worked at Wolfram Research, a software and technology company located in Champaign. His most recent work with the company was in sales, marketing, business development, and strategy for Latin America, Asia Pacific, and South African regions. Michael enjoys home remodeling and real estate development. He and his husband, Brad, recently completed a project with the town of Normal to redevelop the Soldiers and Sailors Children’s School power plant into a mixed-­‐use residential/commercial space. Nemala, Humeshkar -­‐ Visiting Assistant Professor, Physics M.S. University of Kentucky, Ph.D. Wayne State University Humeshkar Nemala received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics from Loyola College, Chennai, India. Owing to his ardent interest in computational sciences, he went on to receive an M. Tech in Computational Techniques from University of Hyderabad, India. After a brief stint as an Assistant Professor and Vice-­‐
Principal of an engineering college in India, Humeshkar came to the United States to pursue his M.S (Physics) from the University of Kentucky and went on to receive his Ph.D. (Physics) from Wayne State University. His experimental thesis work addressed an important issue in bio-­‐medical physics: what is the temperature dependent behavior of nanomagnets, which can be used for cancer therapy and targeted drug delivery, in an external magnetic field. Humeshkar comes to IWU with extensive and varied undergraduate teaching experience. He enjoys making physics and math accessible to a general audience and loves to train undergraduate students for careers in research and data analytics. He is married and a has a 4-­‐year old daughter with whom he loves to build things. Ortega, Irene -­‐ Custodian, Physical Plant Before Irene was hired full-­‐time in April, she worked through a temporary agency on campus. Irene is currently attending junior college taking childcare classes. She is the third of nine children in her family. She enjoys working with children. Peters, Jaime -­‐ Visiting Assistant Professor, Accounting & Finance B.S. Illinois State University, M.B.A. University of Chicago Jaime Peters earned her B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Illinois State University. While working as an equity analyst at State Farm Insurance, she earned her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, passed the C.P.A. exam and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Jaime later worked for Morningstar, Inc. as an equity analyst specializing in banks. Following a few years off as a stay-­‐at-­‐home mother for her four children, Jaime began teaching the Portfolio Management Class at IWU last spring. Jaime lives in Bloomington with her husband, Josh, and is an avid runner and quilter. Phillips, Aaron -­‐ Custodian, Physical Plant Illinois Wesleyan welcomed Aaron to campus full-­‐time in March. He previously worked on campus through a temporary agency. His hobbies include computers, video gaming, and reading fantasy novels. Ramirez, Melissa -­‐ Admission Counselor, Admissions B.A. Illinois Wesleyan University In June, Melissa began her duties on campus. She previously worked as a family resource advisor at Heartland Head Start and an after-­‐school program assistant at Western Avenue Community Center in Bloomington. Melissa was also a student worker in Information Technology Services while attending Illinois Wesleyan. She enjoys running, swimming, biking, painting, and listening to music. Reel, Abigail -­‐ Assistant Director for Career Development, Hart Career Center B.A. Illinois Wesleyan University, M.A. Argosy University -­‐ Schaumburg Before joining the campus community in July, Abby was the director of admissions and advisement at Methodist College located in Peoria. She brings with her additional work experiences from her time at Illinois Central College and Illinois State University. Abby's career in higher education began in the admissions office at Illinois Wesleyan. Roberts, Sarah -­‐ Office Coordinator II, Multi Programs A.S. Illinois Community College, B.S.N. Mennonite College of Nursing Sarah began her campus duties in July. Prior to coming to Illinois Wesleyan, she worked in nursing for eight years. Sarah spent three years at Eureka College and enjoyed working in higher education. She and her husband, Dan, have two daughters; Lauren is 20 and Emily is 16. Sarah enjoys watching her youngest daughter participate in the marching band and show choir. She and her husband are enjoying time together as their daughters are busy outside of the home. Sarah says she likes watching the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Blackhawks win, and the St. Louis Cardinals lose. Rutledge, Christina -­‐ Office Coordinator I, Registrar’s Office B.S. Webster University Christina was welcomed to campus in June. She worked as a stay-­‐at-­‐home mom and homeschooled her children. Christina also spent time as a music teacher in public and private schools and worked as an executive administrative assistant. She is married to Chris and they have three children, Zack, Noah, and Hana. Christina's favorite hobby is quilting. Ryan, Jay -­‐ Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Theatre Arts B.F.A. Virginia Commonwealth University, M.F.A. Brooklyn College Jay is a lighting and scenic designer. He has designed hundreds of productions including extended affiliations with The New O hio Theater, Witness Relocation Company, and the Dance Theater Workshop in NY. He has previously taught at Dickinson College, Brooklyn College, and Montclair State University. Samara, Kamil -­‐ Visiting Instructor, Computer Science B.S. Al-­‐Balqa Applied University, Jordan; M.Phil. De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, and Ph.D. anticipated, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Kamil’s research area is routing protocols for wireless sensor networks. He has previously taught computer science courses at UW Milwaukee, De Montfort University, and Philadelphia University in Jordan. Sczrpia, Lorraine -­‐ Custodian, Physical Plant Prior to being hired full-­‐time in June, Lorraine worked on campus as a custodian through a temporary agency. She also volunteered locally at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Lorraine stays busy raising her six children. Shoults-­‐Wilson, W. Aaron -­‐ Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies B.S. Truman State University, Ph.D. University of Georgia W. Aaron Shoults-­‐Wilson received his BS in chemistry from Truman State University before going on to earn a PhD in environmental toxicology from the University of Georgia, working in the Aquatic Toxicology Lab of Dr. Marsha Black. Following his dissertation defense he pursued postdoctoral studies at the University of Kentucky in the Plant and Soil Science Department. He then joined the faculty of Roosevelt University as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science. His research has focused primarily on toxic trace metals in both aquatic and terrestrial systems. In aquatic systems he examines bivalves as monitors or trace metal pollution while in terrestrial systems he uses earthworm behavior as a sensitive measurement of toxicity. Pursuing his research objectives has taken him from the blackwater swamps of southern Georgia to the open waters of Lake Michigan. Dr. Shoults-­‐Wilson lives with his wife and two children and enjoys reading, gardening, board gaming and writing fiction.specialization is in philosophy of science. His current research is on the role of causal notions in science. He enjoys reading fiction, hiking, and playing a variety of racket sports. Smolen, Jane -­‐ Senior Operations Coordinator, School of Music B.S. Illinois State University, M.A. Greenville College In October, Jane joined the campus community. For 14 years, she had her own business providing private music lessons to over 40 students. Jane also worked as the music director at a local church for five years. She is currently the president of the Children's Discovery Museum Guild and locally serves as the secretary of the National Federation of Music Clubs. Whitehouse, James -­‐ Custodian, Physical Plant A.S. Embry-­‐Riddle Aeronautical University Before being hired full-­‐time with Illinois Wesleyan, James was a custodian on campus through a temporary agency. He also worked for 20 years at Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America, Inc. in Normal. James and his wife, Donna, have two daughters. He enjoys reading comic books and military history books. James also spent time in the United States Marine Corps and continues to be active in Veterans Administration Affairs. Wright, Nicole -­‐ Recruitment Coordinator, School of Theatre Art B.S. Indiana Wesleyan University Before coming to Illinois Wesleyan in November, Nicole worked for a year as a social media manager at Pepperdine University located in Malibu, California. For three years, she also worked as the corporate communications manager at White Lodging Services in northwest Indiana. Nicole and her husband, Miles, enjoy spending time with their puppy, Dodger. Nicole’s other interests are making crafts, going to church, traveling, and watching the Green Bay Packers. Wu, Emily (Michelle) -­‐ Director of Conference Services, Dean of Students B.A. Emory University, M.Ed. Vanderbilt Michelle was welcomed to campus in June. She previously worked at Emory University as a residence hall director/program specialist and as an assistant director of conferences. She enjoys ballroom dancing, hockey, curling, cycling, and traveling. Michelle is also a member of the Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors -­‐ International. Office location changes: Information Technology Services Help Desk has moved from Ames Library, first floor to Ames Library, third floor. Library Services Desk (formerly known as the Circulation Desk) is now the single service point for Ames Library, first floor.