Alumni

Alumni Memories

The Western Illinois University Alumni Association is pleased to share the following photos and stories with you. Our Alumni and Friends are so very proud of Western and they want to share with others the experiences they have had since they left Western as well as some of their greatest memories. If you would like to post something to our Alumni Memories page, please email A-Association@wiu.edu. Alumni staff will review all submissions and update this page on a monthly basis. 

July 2022

tanner

Former residents of Tanner Hall gathered in Macomb and were able to tour their former residence hall.

Front row l-r: Dave Ferrari '77, Linda Wohlers, Donna Bushmeyer Koeller '75, Carla McNaught Mayernick '75, John Gorzell '74 & Bill Krewer '73.

Back row l-r:  Dennis Bomke '76, Jon Carls '76, Dave Wohlers '73, Jim Koeller '74, Larry
Schultz '74.

Not pictured: John Mayernick '73, Jeff Jeter '73 and Julie Jobin Jeter '73

June 2022

TKE Gathering in Oak Brook, IL

tke

L-R: Steve Sittig '70, Frank Yacino '70, John Gubbins '68, Bruce Smith '69, Mike Michau '72, Randy Witter '70, Pat Benton, Tom Kuna '69, Dave Hamilton '66, Larry Toppert '87, Tom Tomaszewski '70, Bob Hamman, Rob Lucas '72, Mike Lavin '69, Ken Keller '68, John Sammons '68 and Al Funck '70.

"The group meets on a regular basis in Oak Brook, Illinois. Larry Toppert was an outstanding WIU Alumnus who passed away two days after the luncheon. He will be missed by all."

June 2020

henniger7

In June 2020, six former residents of Henninger 7 played a round of golf at Harry Mussatto Golf Course. They have been reuniting in Macomb for the past 18 years.

Left to right is Tom Straits '76, Don Whitacre '74, Chris Hoban '74, Les Gack '76 and Darrell Stevens '76. Not shown is photographer, Brad Rosander '76.

July 2019

In July, 2019, many alumni of Chi Alpha Xi sorority met in Mount Prospect, IL to catch up with each other and reminisce.  A delightful time was had by all.  

All Sisters and Big Brothers of Chi Alpha Xi are invited to join our Facebook page.  Through social media and networking, we were able to organize and plant a Chi Alpha Xi brick at WIU.

In 2020, we will be marking 50 years since the founding of Chi Alpha Xi!  Join us on Facebook and stay tuned for details about this monumental celebration.

Chi1

Chi2

May 24, 2019

vicky

quote

WIU Alumnus Vicky Pasenko: ANIMAL ADVOCATE

Vicky Pasenko has made it her mission to create an environment where dogs and cats feel at home while awaiting families to adopt them. In the process, she has found a second home and second family of her own.

As both Executive Director of the Evanston (IL) Animal Shelter and Co-President of the Evanston Animal Shelter Association, Pasenko has a wide range of responsibilities – from speaking to the City Council about a contract renewal to cleaning kennels. In addition to two employees on staff, she also relies extensively on a devoted base of volunteers to assist her. They help care for the animals, raise funds for EAS and staff activities like an adoption event or free rabies and microchip clinic.

While the 32 year old shelter twenty minutes north of Chicago is not physically large – the single-floor location is approximately 2,100 square feet – Pasenko  & Co. do make a sizable impact. EAS has the on-site capacity for twenty adult dogs with one per kennel and about thirty-five adult cats with one per cage. In addition, they have anywhere from 60 to 150 animals in foster homes at any given time. Since 2016, an average of nearly 600 dogs and cats have come through the 'no-kill' shelter each year. Above and beyond providing the animals with housing, food and companionship, Evanston Animal Shelter also arranges and pays for veterinary care for the animals who need it.

Pasenko recently took time to answer questions from high school student Marcell Podsiadly about her work, her love of animals and the impact that her education at WIU has had on her journey.

Marcell:  What sparked your love for animals?

Pasenko: “I grew up on a farm. So, animals have always been a part of my life.  Whether it was kittens or baby pigs or a lamb, my Mother was always bottle feeding something at our house. My first dog was named Pepsi.  She was already the family pet when I was born.”

Marcell: What’s your favorite part about being around animals?

Pasenko: “They are authentic and don’t pretend to be something they are not.  They typically let you know what they need and how they want to be treated. There is no pretense or hypocrisy in their world.”

Marcell: When you were a student, what did you think you would do for a career?

Pasenko: “I originally intended to be an accountant.”

Marcell: What kind of jobs did you hold before working at the shelter?

Pasenko: “My first real job was with the Illinois Department of Revenue where I managed the payroll office.  I worked in various roles at that Department for about seventeen years.  From there, I went to work for a large technology company where I ultimately became the Operations Director for North America Consulting.  I retired from the corporate world just over a year ago. By that time, I was already well into my tenure at the shelter. I've been volunteering at the shelter for fourteen years now.”

Marcell:  In your position at the shelter, you have a lot of different tasks. What is it like having so many different responsibilities?

Pasenko: “It is very much like running a small business.  It is the best job I have ever had. And seeing as I do it on a volunteer basis, that’s a really great feeling. if you are going to commit this much time to a position and you are not paid to do it, it should be something you love to do.”

Marcell: Have your classes at WIU impacted your ability to do that job well?

Pasenko: “Of course. I went to Macomb in the fall of 1973 as a 17 year old fresh off the farm. The year I spent on campus introduced me to a new world. The business classes I took that prepared me for my professional career have also prepared me for the business aspects of running the shelter.  After my Father died, I went to work, but when WIU started their remote adult education program, I enrolled and continued my education at WIU.  Through my involvement in WIU’s adult education program, I realized that learning is a life long process. That mindset has helped me in my current role. When Alisa Kaplan and I decided to found EASA, we started researching best practices in shelter management and shelter protocols in order to prepare ourselves for the task.  In a world where technology changes at lightning speed, we must be prepared to continue to learn new things and adapt our knowledge base as our life and goals change.”

Marcell:  For those who aren't familiar, can you explain what differentiates EAS from EASA?

Pasenko:  “They are two separate entities.  The Evanston Animal Shelter is the municipal shelter that is owned and operated by the City of Evanston.  The Evanston Animal Shelter Association is the Not for Profit organization that operates the shelter on behalf of the City.”

Marcell:  You take a lot of pride in running a “no-kill” shelter. Can you explain what that is?

Pasenko:  “There are lots of definitions out there, but I like this one:  A 'no-kill' shelter is an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals or those considered dangerous to public safety.  Typicaly a 'save rate' of 90% or better is required to receive that designation.  Ours is consistently 97%.”

Marcell:  What are some of the most common reasons the animals come to EAS in the first place?

Pasenko:  “Fifty-five percent of the animals come in as strays.  Other animals are surrendered by their owners for a variety of reasons that range from people who are moving to a home where they can't have pets, to seniors who can no longer care for their animals, to financial issues to people who just don’t want the animal anymore.  But it’s okay because we take them in and give them a new life.”

Marcell: Some dogs and cats have been through difficult things before coming to the shelter. What kind of things does EAS do to create a comfortable environment for them?

Pasenko: “We try to 'read' each animal and adapt to their needs to the extent possible.  For example, we often house dogs in the shed [a smaller building adjacent to the shelter's main building] if they are particularly stressed in the kennel.  For cats, we try to place them in quiet cages if they are shy, or we try to place them in higher traffic areas if they are very social. In both cases, dogs and cats, we also utilize foster homes. We also consult with trainers to help us address specific issues for a specific animal. In general, we try to make their physical environment as comfortable as we can.  Most dogs are given a bed, a blanket, a chew bone and treats.  Most cats are given a scratching pad, a toy, a bed, something to hide in if they are frightened, and food puzzles to challenge them mentally. On top of that, we have daily shifts of volunteers who spend time with the dogs and cats to provide them friendship and companionship.”

Marcell: You mention your volunteers. How would you sum up their impact?

Pasenko:  “Volunteers are the heart of the organization.” 

Marcell: Why is it important for people to “adopt not shop”?

Pasenko: “Many people buy puppies online from places they perceive to be reputable breeders, or they buy puppies from a puppy store.  Typically the source of those cute puppies is a puppy mill where animals are kept in inhumane conditions and forced to bear two litters of puppies a year until they are too old to do so.  Buying a puppy in this way supports this cruel industry.” 

Marcell: In what ways do you spread the word about the animals available for adoption at EAS?

Pasenko: “Our website (www.EvanstonAnimalShelter.net) is one of the main ways we promote adoptable animals. We also promote them on social media. We have offsite adoption events as well.”

Marcell: Ending on a light note, please solve the debate - what is the best 'animal' movie of all time?

Pasenko: “Marley and Me.”

September 28, 2018

TKE Reunion

Members of Tau Kappa Epsilon met at the Alumni House on September 28, 2018 for the All-Alumni Social to kick off Homecoming 2018 weekend. For more more photos of the TKE reunion, visit HERE.

May 30, 2018

 henninger 7

On May 30, eight former residents of Henninger 7 gathered at the Alumni House. They have been reuniting in Macomb for the past 17 years.

Front row l-r: Allan Barron '74, Chris Hoban '74 and John Rosander '76.

Back row l-r: Matt Martin '74, Don Whitacre '74, Darrell Stevens '76, Les Gack '76 and Bob Bestvina '76.

June 20, 2017

Piper 1

Piper 2

These three brothers, Robert Piper '64, James Piper '69 and Thomas Piper '74, all traveled to their alma mater on June 20, 2017. They stopped by the Alumni House and shared many stories of their time at WIU. Robert still has his life membership card to the Alumni Association. 

May 2017

MIke

WIU Alumni are always volunteering for good causes: Tom Kapocius '69 and Leatherneck football great Mike Scifres '02, retired NFL punter for the San Diego Chargers, at a charity golf event in San Diego recently.

March 18, 2017

Music

For 3 decades now, graduates from the department of music have remained very close, gathering on their own a few times a year. On March 18th, 2017, a number of music department alumni gathered at Kelleher's in Peoria, Illinois to continue this tradition. "Our WIU bond is as strong now as it was 30 years ago."

L-r: Kevin Reavis '88, Deb Reavis '86 '89, Genaro Cantu '89 '91, Becky Marcotte '90, Dan Marcotte '88, Tony Corpus '87, Chris Corpus, Jane Scherer '86, Steve Scherer '85, Kari Jones, Steve Jones '84, Sandy Marcotte & Dennis Marcotte '88.

February 11, 2017

AgAlumniSocial

December 2016

Good

Pictured is Willis Good '61 and his wife Pat. They were recently featured in their local newspaper, the Daily Journal "Boomers" section (Winter 2016 issue) for their volunteer efforts and making a difference in their community during their retirement years. A big Leatherneck salute to all they do to touch the lives of so many others.

The full story can be found here.

 Jackson

Pictured during a recent visit to Tallahassee l-r: President Jack Thomas, Erwin Jackson '72 '75, Stefanie Jackson and Vice President Brad Bainter '79 '83. Photo taken at Florida State University's Doak Campbell Stadium on October 18, 2016.

November 2016

Greg Lee

Coordinated by 1969 alumnus Greg Lee, this group of alumni enjoyed a wonderful weekend back on campus to celebrate a Hursh/Bayliss reunion on Nov. 11, 2016. 

L-r: Don Chasteen, Keith Rowley, John Lunsford ‘70, Mike Crouch ‘70, Dennis Hamilton ‘70, Dave Foley ’70 ‘76, Jerry Lindvall ‘69, Marcia Lunsford ‘70, John Williams ‘70, Dixie Williams, Marilyn Rademacher ‘70, Gene Rademacher ‘70, Greg Lee ‘69 and Barb Lee.

 

October 2016

memory1

L to R - Laura Byrd Prigge '97, Shauna Gollnitz Musselman '97, random class of '71 guy that saw our shirts, Andi Frieden Gulley '96, Kathy Rogner Palmer '96.

Memory2

L to R - Kathy Rogner Palmer '96, Andi Frieden Gulley '96, Shauna Gollnitz Musselman '97, Laura Byrd Prigge '97 (with their WIU girls weekend 2016 shirts).

memory3

"We were all Thompson Hall 16th honors floor in 1993-94. Still having fun together."

August 2016

Theta Chi Zeta Psi

Members of Theta Chi Zeta Psi reunited on Sunday, August 14, 2016, in Pittsburgh, PA.

L-r: Dave Gish '70, Ed Kelley '74, four time Superbowl champion and Leatherneck hall of famer Mike Wagner '71, John Bokum '72 and Tom Elwood '73.

May 2016

May 2016

February 2016

TKEs

A group of Tau Kappa Epsilon members gathered at our alumni event in Ft. Myers on February 4.

L-r: Larry Ziegler ‘70, Chuck Little '73, Alumni Council member Tom Tomaszewski '70 '72, Al Boaz '75, Bill Neidlinger ‘68, Roger Leighty '70, Alumni Achievement Award recipient Todd Sieben '67, Alumni Council member John Sanders '74, Richard Hunter '70 and Tom Kapocius '69.

Dan Isaacson

Alumni Achievement Award recipient Dan Isaacson '71 sent us this photo from the premiere of The People vs. O.J. Simpson. He was able to meet John Travolta, along with his wife, actress Kelly Preston, during the premier.

November 2015

wrestlers

On November 14 , eleven former WIU wrestlers and their former coach, Bob McMahan, met in Iowa City for an alumni reunion and to watch the "Grapple on the Gridiron" wrestling meet. They showed support to their alma mater by wearing purple WIU shirts!

Front l-r: Jim Buxton '76, Scott Pickford '76, Scott Clark '71 '72 Randy Kettering '74. Back l-r: Jerry Strauman, Roger Glisan '73, Mike Richart '73 '76, Rob Glisan '71, Coach Bob McMahan, Jim Woods, Rick Nelson '73 and Dick Biddle '71.

November15

Alumni Council member Brian Savage '73 recently tailgated before a Chicago Bears game. At every home game, Brian proudly flies his WIU flag and has numerous WIU alumni stop by and comment on his flag.

L-r: Colton Donahue, Dan Bryniczka '82, Matt Cerbin '12, Alumni Council member Brian Savage '73, Greg Brynicaka '82 (kneeling), Will Madauss, John McDonnell '12, Douglas Digiovanni '12, Rob Sobotka '09 and Robert Savage '08.

October 2015

Former Football Players

A group of former WIU football players gathered at Homecoming on October 3, 2015.

Front l-r: Mike Hattery '69, Gary Calsyn '69, Dana Skaggs '69 '73 and John Pecaro '70. Back l-r: Mike Wilson '69 '71, Jim Druetzler '69, Tom Schmulback '70 '84, Bernie Ferry '68 '69, Frank Yaccino '70 and Chuck Giver.

March 2015

WIU music alumni

School of Music Assistant Professor Courtney Blankenship recently attended the NAMM Show in California with 11 students - an international music products show with 90,000 in attendance. While there, she met up with some WIU alumni employed within the music products industry including Sean Murphy '09, Adam Weems '93, Tony Lapsansky '09 and David Kelley '93 - all grads from the School of Music within the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

February 2015

alumni in Alaska

L-r:  Nancy Corzatt Sprout '85 and her brother Jon Corzatt '82 visited Alaska in 2014. Here they are on Ruth Glacier in Ruth Gorge in Denali National Park.

December 2014

The photo below is from Kelsey Butson '07 and Steve Sraga '04. They were married on December 12, 2014 in Mexico.

Sraga wedding party

Back row, l-r: Tim Denton '11, Andrew Valko, Brandon Edler and Katie Butson ‘10. Middle row, l-r: Brian Pasnik ’08, Kyle McNeely ‘08, Sara Valko ‘05, Abbie Joyner, Wes Schmitz ‘05, Kali Montgomery, Michele Peterson ‘07, Brittany Lane ‘07, Mike Bove and Jeff Bartl. Front row, l-r: Levi McGhee ‘06, Bradlee Blackmore ’04, Erika Lowe ‘09, Melissa McGhee, Jamie Denton ’05, Mary Bove, Kelsey Butson ‘07 and Steve Sraga ‘04.

September 2014

Many WIU Alumni & Friends shared their pictures of the WIU vs. Northwestern Pre-Game Social that took place in Evanston on Saturday, September 20, 2014.

TKE fraters at WIU vs. Northwestern Game

TKE fraters at the WIU vs. Northwestern Pre-Game Social in Evanston on September 20, 2014. L-r:  John Wrenn '73, Frank Yaccino '70, Tom Henderson '73, Gary Birch '75, Tom Tomaszewski '70 '72 and Bob Hardig '77. Also joining them at the pre-game social were Sittig, McNelley, Michau, Hockberger and the Mortier brothers!

WIU vs. Northwestern Game

"We had a great time at the game. Go 'Necks!"
--Christine Leider Bohlmann '74 and friends from the class of '74

August 2014

TKE Weekend

TKE Weekend in Laporte, Indiana in August 2014.

February 2014

In October 2013, an unexpected multi-class reunion of four Western Illinois University Alumni occurred on the other side of the world, in Arifjan, Kuwait. Meeting for the first time, from different organizations within the US Army (Ammunitions Branch), these four alumni reminisced of their college experiences and discussed the operations at hand. MAJ Tim Sanders (143d ESC Chief of Munitions), graduate of Board of Governors 2002; CW4 Michael Carpentieri (143d ESC Senior Ammunitions Technician), graduate of Board of Governors 1995; Ms. Stephanie Hoover (1st TSC Southwest Asia Ammunitions Manager), graduate with a Bachelor's of Business; and Mr. Shawn McGee (1st TSC Southwest Asia Ammunitions Manager), graduate of Accounting – 2002 & MBA – 2003.

From Left to Right: MAJ Tim Sanders ‘02, CW4 Michael Carpentieri ‘95, Ms. Stephanie Hoover ‘04, Mr. Shawn McGee ‘02 & ‘03

L-r: MAJ Tim Sanders '02, CW4 Michael Carpentieri '95, Stephanie Hoover '04 and Shawn McGee '02 '03.

January 2014

James Klund

James Klund '79 had his home broken into during the summer of 1996. One of the items that were stolen was his WIU class ring. This past November, the Alumni Association was contacted by a police officer in Eugene, OR who had found the ring in a locker while moving from an old facility to a new one. After doing some research, we contacted James to notify him that his class ring had been found. This is a photo that James took after receiving his class ring that had been stolen 17 years ago!

 


class ring

October 2013

Seven WIU Delta Sigs attended a Dillard for Governor work night at Dillard's campaign office in October.

WIU Delta Sigs

Front row, l-r:  Bill Epperly '68, Kevin Keogh '68 '72 and Larry Watters. Back row, l-r:  Louis Sorto Jr. '69, Ken Zehnder '72, Harvey Ahitow '68, Senator Kirk Dillard '77 and Dan Hamburg.

October 2013

Former WIU football teammates meet up at WIU Homecoming 2013.

2013 Homecoming

L-r:  Chuck Gosnell '70 '78, Mike Brewers '70 '82 '01, Joe McLaughlin '69, Mike Wilson '69 '71, Frank Yaccino '70, Bob Majka '72 and Tom Schmulbach '70 '84.

September 2013

WIU alumni and friends gathered in Las Vegas in September to cheer on the Fighting Leathernecks as they took on UNLV.

 

WIU Alumni & Friends in Las Vegas

L-r:  John Heard '79, John (JB) Biernbaum, Mark Kiley '79 and Martin O'Connor '78.

 

Joe Roselieb and JB Biernbaum

L-r:  Joe Roselieb '07 '09 and John (JB) Biernbaum.

September 2013

Here's a photo submitted after a recent Tau Kappa Epsilon gathering in the Chicago area on September 15, 2013.

TKE Reunion

Front row, l-r:  Richard Hunter '70, Tom Kuna '69 and Steve Sittig '70. Back row, l-r:  Tom Moehn '68, John Gubbins '68, Ed Sharp '69, Bob Weber '68, Al Funck '70, Tom Tomaszewski '70 '72, Ken Keller '68, Frank Yaccino '70, Bruce Smith '69 and Mike Michau '72.

August 2013

Some classmates from the class of 1963 (and the years around 1963) recently gathered at the Chicago Club for dinner; several were members of Delta Sigma Phi.

1963 classmates

 

L-r:  Bill Mitchell '65, Larry Eaton '65, Gordy Taylor '68, Gary Baise '63, Al Wilson '64 and Chuck Walters '63 '66.

May 2013

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013, WIU graduates met for a dinner in downtown Taipei, Taiwan.

WIU grads met for a dinner in downtown Taipei, Taiwan

L-r:  Cathy Hommel Cunningham '75 '81, retired WIU LEJA professor Stan Cunningham '77 '79, Robert (Chang) Wei-Ping '84 '95, Bill (Lin) Tsan-Chang '87, Danny Feng '95 '95,
Mrs. Lu (widow of WIU Honorary Doctorate Recipent Dr. Lu Yu-Jen '94), Sandy (Yeh) Yu-Lan '86 and Sam Tedrow '84 '87.

May 2013

In late May, WIU swimming alumni met up and competed at the United States Masters Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis. Read more about it online.

WIU swimming alumni

L-r:  Tom Wilczak '82, Jim Campana '74, Jen Madgiak '08, Tom McCabe '80 and former WIU head swim coach Bill Ryan; Coach Ryan coached 36 All-Americans in five seasons. At the Championships in Indiana, McCabe earned first in the 50 free, Ryan finished 7th in the 50 free, Campana was runner-up in the 50 breast stroke, Madgiak finished 7th in the 100 back.

April 2013

Mike Wilson, Tom Tomaszewski and Frank Yaccino

L-r:  Mike Wilson '69 '71, Tom Tomaszewski '70 '72 and Frank Yaccino '70 at Isle of Capri Fish House in Florida.

March 2013

Below is a picture from WIU Graduate James Nardelli '08; it was taken in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

He brought this WIU banner to both of his deployments, the first in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan and the second in Nangarhar Province. He was commissioned through the WIU ROTC program in 2008 and has enjoyed every minute of it. And he still keeps in contact with his fellow alumni and Sigma Pi fraternity brothers.

James Nardelli

The WIU banner has also been proudly displayed in his offices where he's been stationed, including Fort Benning, GA; Fort Campbell, KY; and Fort Huachucah, AZ.

October 2012

Howard Montgomery started taking classes at Western in the fall of 1932. He took many classes at Western before beginning a career as a teacher in Oakford, Illinois. Howard celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2012. Helping him celebrate below are his brother and sister.

Howard Montgomery celebrates 100th birthday

L-r:  Raymond, Howard and Mary Ella.

A group of friends who met at Western Illinois University has organized their own annual reunions since the mid 1960's. This year, they traveled to Frisco, Colorado.

WIU Alumni Reunion

L-r:  Pat Renner '62, Rex Renner '61, Pat Auten, Ron Thompson '62, Milan Dexter, Lorrie Dexter, Carol Thompson and Dick Auten '62.

 

September 2012

Susan Caldwell Schweitzer '75 (far left) and Julie Ward Johnson '76 (far right) met in 1973 when they were both resident assistants in Bayliss Hall. Although Susan and her family moved to Atlanta, GA, in 1987 and Julie and her family remained in the Chicago area, the two continued to be best friends visiting each other often and taking family trips together.

Homecoming 2012

When Julie's daughter, Kristen (2nd from right in picture), transferred to WIU this past August, the two families knew it would be a perfect opportunity to make it back for Homecoming. Susan had not been back to the campus in 35 years and Julie had not been back until her campus visits with Kristen. Julie along with husband Bob and Susan with husband Gary and daughters Stephanie and Samantha met up with the new Leatherneck, Kristen, for Homecoming weekend. Both families had a wonderful two days reliving old times and making some new memories at WIU.

June 2012

Ann Kilbourn Augspurger '86 submitted this photo of her and her mother at a WIU Football Game in the early 1980's. Her mother passed away in early 2012 and Ann wanted to share the photo with the WIU Alumni Association. Ann was a member of the WIU Marching Leathernecks.

Alumni Memories

May 2012

Fernando Medina MBA '76 has not been on campus since he graduated in the mid '70s. He currently lives in Columbia and traveled to the United States for a trip in May. During his time in the states, he took the Amtrak train from Chicago to Macomb and spent the day on campus. He was excited to visit his old residence hall (Higgins), shop in the WIU Bookstore and tour campus, including a stop at Hanson Field. We, at the Alumni House, were excited that he stopped by to visit us!

Fernando Medina

April 2012

Alumni gathered at Bahama Breeze in Tampa, Florida during the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Convention in March. WIU Rec Staff were excited to reconnect with so many WIU Rec Alumni.

NIRSA Alumni in Tampa, Florida

L-r:  Nick White MS '09, Intramural Manager at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla MO; Mike Chadee MS '07 who works at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center; Nick Knowles  '02 MS '07,  Assistant Director of Club Sports and Facilities at WIU; Scott Vandermoon MS '06, Assistant Director for Student Development at the DePaul University Campus Recreation.

NIRSA Alumni in Tampa, Florida

L-r:  JT Timmons MS '02, Director of Recreational Sports at the University of Illinois-Springfield with Milly MacDonell MS '00, Director of Campus Recreation at WIU.

NIRSA Alumni in Tampa, Florida

L-r:  Steven Dowhan, WIU Campus Recreation Graduate Assistant, Dominic Ackerman MS '12, Tony Dirth MS '09, Intramural and Sport Club Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-OshKosh and Ben Blodgett, WIU Campus Recreation Graduate Assistant.

NIRSA Alumni in Tampa, Florida

L-r:  Ryan Hansen, former WIU Assistant Director of Intramurals and Kari Leigh Osborne MS '09, Assistant Director of Intramural and Club Sports at Texas A & M-Commerce

March 2012

Tom '74 & Alice Robison Berntson '74 were excited to watch the Men's Basketball Team play in Oregon in March when the Leathernecks took on Oregon State in the CIB postseason tournament. These Oregon alumni donned their purple and gold and met up with fellow WIU Alumni & Friends. They were excited to sit right behind the bench and shared a few photos from the game.

WIU Alumni & Friends at WIU vs. Oregon State Basketball Game

L-r:  Andy Houpt '78, Alice Robison Berntson '74, Tom Berntson '74, Bill Young '73 and Vice President of Student Services Gary Biller.
(Houpt is the father of WIU basketball player Jack Houpt; Andy had gotten up at 3:20 a.m. to catch a flight from northern Indiana to be in Oregon for the game.)

WIU vs. Oregon State Basketball Game
WIU vs. Oregon State Basketball Game
WIU vs. Oregon State Basketball Game

January 2012

Lynn Fulton '73, Mike Kunze '73, Duane Grahovec  and Bob O'Toole '73 '74

Former WIU hockey players together again, l-r: Lynn Fulton '73, Mike Kunze '73, Duane Grahovec and Bob O'Toole '73 '74.

January 2012

WIU Alumni in Afghanistan

2012 Greetings from WIU alumni and students serving in Kunar Province, Afghanistan (photo courtesy of Alan Cale). L-r: SFC Brandon Golden '05 - law enforcement and justice administration (LEJA); MSG Jeramie Mayes - senior LEJA major from Springfield; SSG Travis Helkey '07 - LEJA; SFC James Mayes '98 - biology; 1LT Kyle Scifert '98 - LEJA; SGT Alan Cale - senior English major from Macomb. Read more about Alan Cale's time in Afghanistan and his appearance in "Transformers 3."

November 2011

Alumni Council member John Sanders '74 poses with David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals

Alumni Council member John Sanders '74 poses with David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals after our WIU Alumni event in Jupiter showing Leatherneck pride! Sanders coached Freese in baseball when he was growing up and as many of you know, Freese went on to be named the MVP of both the National League Championship and the World Series.

October 2011

WIU held its annual Lacrosse Alumni Game on Saturday, October 15 at Hanson Field.

Alumni Lacrosse Game

June 2011

Retiring Director of Guidance at Carlinville High School and 1976 Kinesiology alumnus Bob Flowers (right) with retiring Band Director at Carlinville High School and 1977 Music alumnus Gary Gardner (left) on their last official day. They share fond memories of their days at WIU. Photo taken by Bob's wife Elaine Tapen Flowers, a 1974 management graduate!

Gary Gardner and Bob Flowers

L-r:  Gary Gardner '77 and Bob Flowers '76.

January 2011

Richard Hunter '70 recently made a unique contribution to his alma mater because of a fond memory he had of his time at WIU. He is shown below at the 2011 Atlanta Alumni & Friends Event. Click here to read his letter.

Richard Hunter

January 2011

Two former Leathernecks serve on the Board of Directors of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. This photo was taken prior to their annual dinner this past fall.

Booker Edgerson and John Maddock

L-r:  WIU Hall of Fame member Booker Edgerson and John Maddock ’76 MS '78 who was a member of the WIU golf team.

December2010

It's "all in the family" for Dan and Nancy Reed of Macomb. Both are WIU alumni, all three of their children are WIU graduates and so are all of their children's spouses.

Reed family

Seated, l-r: Dan Reed '60 and Nancy Reed '70. Standing, l-r: Doug Reed '95, Stephanie Reed '97 MBA '99, Robert Eric Reed '93, Shannon Reed '92, Margaret Reed Taylor '99 MBA '06 and Andy Taylor '02.

November 2010

WIU Sigma Kappa Reunion in Oak Brook Terrace

Sigma Kappa Reunion

Front row, l-r: Barb Ford Shor '76, Kathy Schimanski Harmon '76 and Eileen Geraghty Orgo '75. Back row, l-r:  Jodi Rudd Bouris '76, Debbie Novotny Carter '75, Linda Middleton '75, Rose Marcione Miksan '74, Sherry Stephens Belanger '78, Carole Hall Cozzi '73, Jan Kwiecinski Lorenz '73, Nancy Apitz Sanneman '74 and Lydia Blackburn Lutzow '74.

October 2010

WIU Alumni Relations Big Pink Volleyball Team.

Big Pink Volleyball Team

L-r:  Assistant Alumni Director Michael Jones, Danica Ullom, Kipp Jones '00, Alumni Director Amy Spelman '98, Alumni Graduate Assistant Drew Donahoo and Assistant Alumni Director Judy Eckerly '96.

October 2010

Three generations of WIU alumni enjoy a family vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nelson Family--Three generations of WIU alumni

L-r:  Kate Nelson, Tom Nelson, JoEllen Busich Nelson '78, Mindy Nelson, Jamie Nelson '06, Ted Nelson '51 MS-ED '51, Jim Nelson '77 and Zach Buhnerkemper '06.

October 2010

WIU education alumni teaching in Montana.

Scott Brokaw, Mary Ann Davis Whiteman, Anne Bodane Luft, Kathy Farr Stenerson, Marilyn McMullen Hyde, Pat McGuire Pitsch, and Reiko Kobayashi Knutson.

L-r:  Scott Brokaw '80, Mary Ann Davis Whiteman '76, Anne Bodane Luft '76, Kathy Farr Stenerson '74, Marilyn McMullen Hyde '75, Pat McGuire Pitsch '74 and Reiko Kobayashi Knudson '81.

September 2010

WIU alumnus Ron Taylor in Afghanistan

Col. Ronald K. Taylor '71 MS-ED '72 during his deployment in Afghanistan.

July 2010

WIU Alumni at Harry Mussatto Golf Shop

Several WIU Alumni, parents and friends of Western hit the links this summer and made a stop at the Mussatto Golf Course. They are l-r: Director of Alumni Relations Amy Spelman '98, Joe McManus, Terrance Carlson, Tom Dunne, Ed Hoffman '78 '85, Pat Schwinn '73, WIU Foundation Board Member Jim Garner '50, Mike Swearingen, Vice President for Advancement and Public Services Brad Bainter '79 '83 and Ed McManus '73.

Henninger 7 Reunion
June 2010

Every summer, a group of WIU alumni who once lived together on the seventh floor of Henninger Hall plan a Reunion to Macomb. This year, they stopped by the Alumni House before golfing at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course.

Henninger 7 Reunion

L-r: Matt Martin '74, Darrell Stevens '76, Brad Rosander, Les Gack '76, Don Whitacre '74, Chris Hoban '74 and Rocky Barron '74.

April 2010

CSP alumni

CSP alumni celebrating 50 years at the National Association for Campus Activities Conference.