University News
Hardy: Honors College Director
May 22, 2013
MACOMB/MOLINE, IL -- Rick Hardy, political science professor and interim director of the Centennial Honors College at Western Illinois University has been named the permanent director, effective July 1.
Hardy has served as the interim director of the Honors College since 2011. Previously, he served as the chair of the WIU political science department from 2006-2010. He is currently a professor in the department.
In 2007, he was the co-organizer of Western's first "The Road to the White House" Mock Presidential Election, and served as co-organizer again in 2011. Hardy has also served for three years on the University Honors Council and served as the pre-law adviser for the Honors College. Prior to joining Western's faculty, he was an associate professor of political science at the University of Missouri from 1985-2005, where he also served as assistant director of the Honors College from 1998-2006. He was the founder and director of the Institute for Leadership in Civic Education at Missouri.
"We have been fortunate to have had Dr. Hardy lead the Centennial Honors College for the past two years. During his tenure as interim director, Western for the first time in its history had students named as finalists to two prestigious scholarship opportunities, the Rhodes Scholarship and the Truman Fellowship," noted Provost Ken Hawkinson. "His dedication and commitment to the Centennial Honors College, and to this University, are to be commended."
Hardy received his doctorate from the University of Iowa; his master's degree from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks; and his bachelor's degree from WIU.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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