Alumni Events

President’s Convocation

Friday, August 23 at 12:00pm, Fisher Chapel

Opening Convocation is a longstanding tradition at Rockford University. The ceremony was initiated in 1851, four years after RU’s founding, and is attended by faculty, staff, and students. The ceremony is the symbolic beginning of another school year and a tradition that reinforces our identity as a University, with an address from President Lynott.

Fall Kick-Off Event

Friday, August 23 at 5:00pm, Burpee Commons

This family-friendly event kicks off the school year at Rockford University! Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to come out for food and games on the lawn.

An Alumni Table and a member of the Advancement and Alumni Staff Team will be at this event. Come check in, get a sticker identifying you as an alum, and network with other alumni who are present.

International Day of Peace: Lecture with Winona LaDuke

Wednesday, September 18 at 7:00pm, Fisher Chapel

A Native American activist, Harvard-educated economist, and author, Winona LaDuke has devoted her life to advocating for indigenous people’s rights; environmental justice; women’s and children’s rights; rural development, economic, food, and energy sovereignty. In her talk, LaDuke will share how cooperation and caring for others creates a more just and equitable world.

Renee Horton, Ph.D., Physicist and Airworthiness Deputy at NASA

Friday, October 11 at 7:00pm, Maddox Theatre

Dr. Horton is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and works in the community for STEM education and outreach. She believes in changing the face of STEM and is the founder of Unapologetically Being, Inc., a nonprofit for advocacy and mentoring in STEM.

An Alumni Table and a member of the Advancement and Alumni Staff Team will be at this event. Come check in, get a sticker identifying you as an alum, and network with other alumni who are present.

Wednesday, October 23 at 7:00pm, Fisher Chapel

Barbara Gregorich, author of the 1993 book Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball, will speak on how and why she decided to research women baseball players and how her research for the historically significant, but always elusive, Maud Nelson led her across fifty years and half of the U.S.—inevitably culminating with Rose Gacioch and the magnificent Rockford Peaches.

Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Dr. Geraldo Cadava

Monday, November 18 at 7:00pm, Fisher Chapel

Professor Cadava is a Contributing Writer for The New Yorker and is the author of The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of An American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump (Ecco, 2020), and Standing On Common Ground: The Making of a Sunbelt Borderland (Harvard, 2013). At present, he’s writing a history of Latinos over the past 500 years, tentatively titled A Thousand Bridges, to be published by Crown in 2026. Professor Cadava hosts the podcast Writing Latinos and is coeditor in Chief of the online magazine Public Books. 

Much Ado About Nothing

Friday, November 22 at 7:30pm, Maddox Theatre

Love, deceit, and misunderstandings abound in this witty and charming comedy by William Shakespeare. Alumni can purchase tickets at the special rate of $9 ($3 off). This play also has performances November 21, 23, and 24.

An Alumni Table and a member of the Advancement and Alumni Staff Team will be at this event. Come check in, get a sticker identifying you as an alum, and network with other alumni who are present.

Choir Concert

Friday, December 6 at 7:30pm, Maddox Theatre

Featuring the Rockford University choirs under the direction of Professor Timm Adams. Alumni can purchase tickets at the special rate of $9 ($3 off).

An Alumni Table and a member of the Advancement and Alumni Staff Team will be at this event. Come check in, get a sticker identifying you as an alum, and network with other alumni who are present.