Media Contact – Director of Communications, Rita Elliott 815.226.3374

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Two Rockford University faculty members have been honored with the 2016 Excellence in Teaching Award. The award is presented annually to a full-time professor and adjunct professor.

‌Assistant Professor of Biology Sean Beckmann was the recipient of this year’s full-time award. Professor Beckmann was also the recipient of this year’s Last Lecture honor. One nominator stated, “Professor Beckmann is truly a professor who opens the door for students to excel but at the same time does not hold their hands. His class was one of the best experiences I have had at Rockford University.” Other nominators noted that he consistently will go above and beyond to help students realize their full potentials, even when he doesn’t have time, he will make himself available to answer questions and to help students succeed.

‌Adjunct Professor of Mathematics Tim Wagner was this year’s adjunct award recipient. Students say that Professor Wagner is always accessible by e-mail and will respond in usually less than half a day. He is an effective and clear communicator who never speaks too quickly, and always has an appropriate joke to share in class. One student noted “He went above and beyond every day by asking students how we were and by remembering what events we had going on in our lives. I’ve never had a professor so attentive to students’ personal interests and achievements outside of his own classroom.” Another student stated “His class was so enjoyable, I was sorry to see it end.”

Awarded each May, nominations are submitted by faculty, staff, students and alumni. A five-member selection committee evaluates nominations and selects the winners. The criteria for both awards are knowledge of his/her discipline, respect for students, creative course development, advising, and campus leadership.

Sarah Combs from Roscoe Illinois is the final Rock Solid Regent for the spring 2016 semester. Sarah is a senior early childhood education major and was nominated by Elisa Bott, Assistant Professor of Education. Professor Bott shared that, “Sarah is an excellent student, team player, and natural leader”. She recently coordinated the Week of the Young Child events on the RU campus and in the community at the Annual Early Childhood Family Fun Fair at Heartland Church. The community event she helped organize and attended had over 500 families participating in hands on science and math activities.

Additionally, Sarah organized and motivated a team of early childhood education students to showcase their skills and profession on campus through a quiz recently featured on the portal and a bulletin board display in the Colman Library. Sarah stays very busy with her course work and family responsibilities. She does not consider herself a traditional student due to her laser focus on her family, particularly raising her three year old child.

Sarah enjoys studying at RU because the location allows her to continue her education while raising a family with her husband. After graduation from RU she looks forward to obtaining a teaching position in preschool or the primary grades. Congratulations, Sarah!

Jennifer Caterina is the Rock Solid Regent for the week of April 17. She is a sophomore math and theater major from Huntingdon, Tennessee. She was nominated by Dr. Mehmet Dik and Dr. Filiz Dik. They shared that Jennifer has been an asset to the math department. Specifically, “she has been a tremendous help during the Northern Illinois Association of Mathematics Teachers annual math competitions for local high schools hosted at RU in January”. Additionally they comment that she is meticulous, professional and a joy to have in class.

Jennifer is very busy with a double major but she also makes time for extracurricular activities. She is a participant in the Regents Players and a member of the Math Club. She has also worked in the math lab and scene shop, as well as served as secretary for the Regents Players. Jennifer feels that RU is the right place for her because she can pursue her multiple passions at the same time. She also appreciates RU’s small size because it allows her to receive individualized attention and help from faculty and staff. After graduation she hopes to purse her passion for directing and theater. Congratulations, Jennifer!

Aaron Pearson, from Belvidere, Illinois is the Rock Solid Regent for the week of April 11. Aaron is a senior in the Bachelor of Science in Management Studies (BSMS) program and was nominated by Donna Harvey, Director for the BSMS Program. Donna shared that, “Aaron is always pleasant and helps other students in any way he can. He is active in his church and makes his family a priority even while pursuing his degree completion and working 50 hours a week”.

Aaron enjoys studying at RU because he needed a program that would allow him to attend classes at night. He is thankful that the BSMS program offers him the flexibility he needs as a working adult. He feels that his professors not only provide academic knowledge, but also real world knowledge that enhance the overall learning experience. Along with his academic endeavors and full-time work schedule, Aaron also finds time for additional activities. He’s served as volunteer for Meltfest, a coach for junior tackle football, and he is a member of the Beloit Rifle Club. Aaron also enjoys hunting, fishing, 4 wheeling and spending time with family and friends.

After graduation he plans to take a vacation in a warm location to celebrate his achievement. He also plans to seek a new job opportunity within the company where he is currently employed. He is also considering continuing his education at RU by entering the MBA program. Congratulations, Aaron!

Media Contact: Director of Communications, Rita Elliott, 815-226-3374

Rockford, Ill. – Associate Professor of English, William Gahan, Ph.D., will be presenting the third and final lecture in a lunch and learn series focused on Shakespeare’s Sonnets. The lecture will be held at noon Tuesday, April 12 at Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, 406 N. Main St., Rockford. The first two lectures in the series covered a variety of aspects surrounding the sonnets, concentrating on production and reception and art vs. time. The topic of the third lecture is love and sex.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Participants are welcome to bring lunch. Registration is requested. To register or for more information about the series, and Dr. Gahan visit http://mendelssohnpac.org/events/lunch-learn-shakespeares-sonnets-iii/.

Media Contact: Rita Elliott, Director of Communications, 815-226-3374

The PURI School of Business at Rockford University is pleased present the first Thought Leaders Lecture Serieswith special guest speaker Mohanbir Sawhney, Ph.D., from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University on Monday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. in the PURI School of Business building, located on the campus of Rockford University, 5050 East State Street, Rockford.

Dr. Sawhney is the McCormick Foundation Chair of Technology, Clinical Professor of Marketing and the Director of the Center for Research in Technology & Innovation. His presentation, “The New Rules of Digital Age Marketing,” addresses how marketing needs to transform to stay relevant in the digital age. Customers are becoming immune to traditional push-based marketing. Customers demand personalization, relevance and timeliness of marketing messages. To connect with the new customers, marketers and marketing will have to transform. Marketing will need to be anchored in creative storytelling but be powered by analytics and agile experimentation.

Dr. Sawhney will present five shifts that will define Modern Marketing:

• Strategy: From Product-Led Outbound Marketing to Content-Led Inbound Marketing
• Creative: From Rational Information to Emotional Storytelling
• Media: From Offline/Online Media to Transmedia
• Process: From Waterfall Marketing to Agile Marketing
• Execution: From Campaign-Centric Marketing to Always-On Marketing

Dr. Sawhney will paint a clear picture of the future of marketing processes, marketing skills and the marketing organization that will be needed to survive and thrive in the digital age. In addition, he will bring these ideas to life with examples and case studies from his experience with leading technology companies, analytics companies and technology startups that are creating new tools for Modern Marketing.

For more information, please contact Sydney Holmgren, Office of Graduate Studies, at 815.226.4021 or SHolmgren@rockford.edu.

The Rock Solid Regent for the week of April 4 is freshman Hanqing (Tracy) Wang. Tracy is a political science major from Jiangsu, China. She was nominated by Maria Diemer, Assistant Director of the Office of Global Affairs. Maria shared that Tracy is an “amazing leader, student, and worker”. She has been instrumental in her role as a student worker in the Office of Global Affairs (OGA). Her willingness to help faculty, staff and fellow students who visit the office is remarkable.

In addition to her work in the OGA, Tracy serves as a co-coordinator for the Campus Activity Board, as well as the treasurer for the Craft Club. She is also an active member of the Multi-Cultural Club. Tracy is thankful for the international program at RU. She feels the program does a great job of connecting the international students to the campus community. As a program participant, she enjoys the opportunity to get involved with a variety of activities and meet different people on campus.

Tracy has earned outstanding grades at RU however she shares that studying at RU is not only about her academic learning, but it is also about her becoming a better person. Currently, she plans to attend law school after graduating from RU. Congratulations, Tracy!

The Department of Economics, Business and Accounting (EBA) is hosting its 8th Annual Business Luncheon, featuring a keynote address from Peter Provanzano, president and chief executive officer of SupplyCore, Inc., “Achieving Organizational & Community Sustainability – Applying leadership & resources to improve the physical & human assets of our community” on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in Regents Hall, 2nd Floor of the Burpee Center at Rockford University, 5050 East State Street, Rockford. Check-in and networking begins at 11:30 a.m., the luncheon and program take place from noon – 1:30 p.m.

RSVP by April 12, 2016 to RUBL2016.eventbrite.com. Individual reservations are $45; Coporate table of eight is $350. For more information, contact Jennifer Smith at 815.394.4384 or jsmith@rockford.edu.

Mr. Provenzano is also President of Joseph James Partners, and Chairman of the Rock River Development Partnership. He has led his SupplyCore team, to be one of the top 20 award-winning Small Business US Defense contractors in the nation. Today, SupplyCore maintains a worldwide presence. Domestically SupplyCore keeps key offices and warehouses in Illinois, Georgia, Missouri, and California and it has operations on numerous military bases.

In his work to champion small business participation in federal contracts, he is a past chairman of the Small Business Advisory Committee for the General Services Administration (appointed by Congressman Donald Manzullo, IL-16) and has been welcomed to the Captains of Industry round table at the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

Mr. Provenzano believes in community sustainability as personified by his urban renewal company Joseph James Partners, which is currently working a number projects in downtown Rockford to include a boutique hotel and the Indoor City Market to which JJP’S staff donates considerable time. He has also invested in a social software solution MPOWR — a technology that was originally developed in Rockford at Carpenter’s Place. This case management software helps individuals in need become more selfsufficient by better integrating a city’s social service community through the use of shared achievement plans and participant-centered data. Mr. Provenzano’s commitment to innovation and passion to shape policy has also earned the organization a number of industry awards. In 2011, he was awarded the NDIA Kathleen P. Sridhar Small Business Executive of the Year Award for his leadership and strategic impact in the defense small business sector. In 2005, Inc. Magazine named Mr. Provenzano a finalist for their entrepreneur of the year award along with Mel Gibson and the awardee Burt Rutan. In the same year, SupplyCore was inducted in the Inc. Hall of Fame for being awarded Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 award five years in a row.

Mr. Provenzano has kept SupplyCore’s headquarters in his hometown and he remains very active in the community. He is Chairman of the Rock River Development Partnership (RRDP), a public/private partnership he co-founded with Rockford’s Mayor. He has applied his leadership skills and reinvested his resources into improving the physical and human assets of communities. He was honored with the Rockford Park District’s Community Service Award in 2010, and was inducted into the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s “Tourism Hall of Fame” in 2011 for his continued work with RRDP and establishing the Rockford City Market.

In 2012 he was presented with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce “Twenty People You Should Know” Award which recognizes those who give their time, talent and leadership to the Rockford region, while also mentoring future leaders in the community. His favorite quote from Louis Pasteur, “Chance favors only the prepared mind,” is a testament to his business discipline and passion for community that are at the backbone of his efforts. Mr. Provenzano has served on numerous boards including Rockford University, where he served as Finance Chairman during a period of great transition. He was a trustee for the Chicago Rockford Airport Authority. He currently serves on the Steering Committee of Transform Rockford and is a co-lead on the Case for Change. He and his wife Heather have four beautiful children that they are very pleased to be raising in Rockford.

The Business Luncheon is sposored by ComEd, Illinois Bank and Trust, and Sikich. Additional sponsorship opportunities available. Contact Assistant Vice President for Advancement Denise Noe at 815.394-3756.

Contact: Maria Diemer, Assistant Director of Global Affairs, 815-394-5112

International students at Rockford University will prepare a wide variety of international dishes for the University’s 11th annual International Food Festival, Saturday, April 16 from 5 to 8 p.m., doors will open at 4:30 p.m., in Regents Hall, 2nd floor, Burpee Center on the Rockford University Campus located at 5050 East State Street, Rockford.

Sponsored by Rockford University’s Multicultural Club and the Office of Global Affairs, the International Food Festival will feature authentic recipes from countries like Germany, Philippines, Japan, China, Sweden, Turkey, Syria, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Liberia, Mexico and Bosnia. Members from the Multicultural Club will prepare foods so that visitors can taste home cooked meals from their countries. International entertainment is also planned so that guests can enjoy traditional song and dance while they eat. Rockford University is currently home to more than 85 international students representing 25 countries.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door for adults. Children are $5 in advance, $6 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance by contacting globalaffairs@rockford.edu or call 815-394-5112.

Representatives from Rockford Promise, Rockford University, Rock Valley College, The United Way of Rock River Valley, and Rockford Public Schools District 205 gathered at Rockford University on March 24 to announce the receipts of the first four neighborhood-based full-scholarships; two who will attend Rockford University and two who will attend Rock Valley College and all with inspiring personal stories.

The students, from the Midtown and Ellis Heights neighborhoods, will receive scholarships enabling them to attend college without debt. They are the first of what will, eventually, be a generation of Rockford Public School graduates who will be guaranteed the funds to attend college. Rockford Promise, modeled after Promise programs in Kalamazoo, Mich., and other cities across the country, has the potential to transform our community. In other promise communities, families have moved into the city and public schools, raising the economic growth of the city; while also raising the college attainment rate of the population. Most importantly, it tells every child that, if they can graduate and get in, money will not keep them from their dreams.

The Rockford Universtiy shchoarlship recipients are Jennifer Rosales and Alondra Torres, both from Jefferson High School. East High School Students Victoria Zwicky-Reed and Erica Bibalou were awarded scholarships to Rock Valley College.

Read more about Rockford Promise and the four scholarship recipients in the Rockford Register Star article, “Rockford Promise delivers life-changing college scholarships.”

Pictured above: Provost Dr. Belinda Wholeben and President Robert L. Head with Rockford Promise scholarship recipients Alondra Torres and Jennifer Rosales, who will both attend RU in the fall.