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Alumni

Grants

03/04/2024 11:12 am

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Rockford University Grant Policies and Procedure

 

Purpose of Grants

Rockford University encourages the efforts of faculty members and departments to secure funding for research and special projects that enhance teaching, learning, and campus initiatives through grants and contracts.  Grant funds received from governmental agencies, corporations, and private foundations provide the University, its faculty, staff, students, and community with program opportunities not ordinarily funded by the University budget.

The Office of Advancement and Alumni (Advancement) serves as the University’s central registration office for all grant applications and awards, including collaborative and subcontract grant awards.  Advancement maintains University records on grant submissions, awards, renewals, and reports.  Therefore, all grant applications must be submitted through Advancement, and all renewal / continuation grants must be reviewed and recorded by Advancement before any application is submitted.

University Grant Approval

Programs funded by grants involve the efforts of the University faculty, administrations, staff, and occasionally, students – as well as the use of the University’s facilities and resources – in order to advance the mission of the University.  Grants are awarded to Rockford University, not to the individual faculty, staff, or departments.  Accordingly, the University has the responsibility of monitoring the grant process to assure that no proposal is submitted that would impose budgetary or academic obligations on the University that it is not completely prepared to fulfill, or that the University determines to be inconsistent with its mission.  Therefore, the V.P. / Provost of the grant applicant’s department, the Chief Financial Officer, and the President must all approve of any grant proposals for research, programs, projects, etc. before the application process can begin.

Work Performed in Grant Preparation and Execution

Work performed by faculty or staff members in preparing grant proposals and in carrying out grant programs / research on behalf of Rockford University is considered to be part of the faculty / staff member’s duties and responsibilities.  Funds requested for salary reimbursement for time spent on grant projects must reflect the actual salaries of the individual faculty / staff involved.

Ownership of Grant Products and Indirect Costs

Rockford University encourages research and upholds the basic rights of any individuals writing for the University.  On work performed during normal contract periods, all grant products (including copyrights and patents) shall be shared equally between the University and the grant applicant, unless otherwise specified in the grant, contract, or research agreement.

Rockford University has an indirect cost allowance of 10% that must be included in all federal and non-federal budgets submitted, where allowable.

Internal Proposal Approval Process / Responsibilities

All proposals initiated by University faculty, staff, and departments must have completed the Proposal Submission Form.  Completed, signed forms must be on file with Advancement.  The University will not accept grant awards from proposals that were not approved by the appropriate parties.

  1. The grant applicant (the individual leading the proposal project) should notify Advancement of the intent to apply for a grant as early as possible.
  2. The grant applicant or an administrative delegate must complete Rockford University’s Proposal Submission Form in order to receive the necessary approval on applying for the particular grant.
  3. After completing the Proposal Submission Form, Advancement will maintain the form in their files to avoid the potential for duplicate grant applications for the same program. Advancement will provide the Proposal Submission Form to the grant applicant department’s Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, and the President for their review and approval.
  4. Once the full application is completed, it should be sent to the Advancement Office. Advancement will then provide the full application to the President for final review prior to submission. These documents are due one calendar week prior to the grant deadline date.  Note: Rare exceptions may be made to this timeframe, when necessary and with cause, such as a short turnaround time from the application solicitation to application due date.
  5. All forms should be completed within the timeframes requested above, ensuring that the project is consistent with the University’s mission and with the availability of the University’s resources. This is especially critical when a grant award requires cost sharing or matching funds.  Any budget-relieving, Facilities and Administrative (Indirect) Costs Recovery and/or cost sharing funds or other institutional commitments must be identified and clearly stated in the Proposal Submission Form at this time.
  6. Advancement will secure the signatures of all the appropriate parties. The signatures obtained verify that Rockford University administration has approved of the grant and project plan.

Research, Grant Writing, and Submission Responsibilities / Assistance

  1. Advancement is available to conduct research on the grant applicant’s behalf to find a potential match of funds for a specific project. The project must align with the institution’s mission and provide institutional benefit.  Priority will be given based on a “first come, first serve” basis.  Projects will be prioritized based on institutional benefit.  The grant applicant should prepare a summary of need and submit it to Advancement.  Please allow four working weeks for Advancement to provide funding opportunities.
  2. Advancement and the Business Office are responsible for providing all necessary assurances, compliance statements, etc. and are responsible for ensuring that the University has on file all appropriate compliance assurances required by funding agencies.
  3. The ultimate responsibility for meeting the funding agency’s submission deadline lies with the grant applicant. If the funding agency specifies a deadline date for submission, the grant applicant is responsible for delivering the proposal and any required copies (plus one copy for the University’s records), to Advancement one calendar week before the proposal deadline.  Advancement will be available to help submit the proposal to the prospective funder and with any follow-up contacts prior to a funding decision.

Post-Award Responsibilities

  1. The grant applicant has the primary responsibility for managing the budget of the grant. Advancement will relay the Notice of Award to the grant applicant and the Business Office, once an award is received.  The Business Office will assist the grant applicant in setting up the grant budget account.  Unless otherwise stipulated, the grant applicant is responsible for managing the affairs of the grant.
  2. The grant applicant is also responsible for meeting the deadlines for all grant project reports required by the funding agency. Advancement will be available to send out reminders and provide advice and editorial and other assistance, if requested.  A copy of all project reports must be forwarded to the Advancement Office and the Business Office for the University’s records.

by Kyle Fritz, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications 

Kevin Diemer playing basketball

Rockford University’s junior and Men’s Basketball forward Kevin Diemer surpassed another career milestone this past season, when he scored his 1,000th career point in the Regents’ 74-64 win at Benedictine University. Kevin is no stranger to achieving career milestones however, as he is also in the men’s basketball record book for grabbing his 500th career rebound in the 2021 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament (NACC) Championship game at Wisconsin Lutheran College. 

Currently, Kevin is one of only 17 RU men’s basketball players with 500 career rebounds, one of only 26 players with 1,000 points and one of only 15 players in program history with both 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. All of these accomplishments put him among some of Rockford’s best players, as he currently sits 21st on the all-time scoring list with 1,081 points and 12th in the all-time rebounding list with 659 boards.

“It was a really awesome experience to be able to reach that milestone, and what made it even more special was that it came in the most important win of our season thus far,” Kevin said, when asked about reaching 1,000 points. “My teammates truly are the best, and I want to thank them for helping me along the way. They really made it a special night for me, and I could not be more grateful for them.”

Kevin is not the only Diemer to make both of these lists. His older brother Tony accomplished both of those feats just a few years prior. Tony joined the 1,000 point club with a 26-point effort at Edgewood College back on January 23, 2018. Tony then joined the 500 rebound club ten months later with 10 rebounds in the Regents’ opening game of the 2018-19 season at Carroll University. Both of these were special moments for the Diemer family, as Kevin played alongside his brother during each of those seasons and was able to watch him hit both career milestones.

Tony finished his career fourth on Rockford’s all-time scoring list with 1,650 points and tenth in program history with 679 rebounds. However, Kevin is close to surpassing both of Tony’s marks and still has another year of eligibility remaining. Kevin currently needs just 569 points and 21 rebounds to vault ahead of his older brother on Rockford’s career scoring and rebounding lists. No matter who ends up on top though, Kevin and Tony have already made history as the first pair of brothers to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds at Rockford University.

“Our entire childhood we competed in any way we could, which really helped both of us get better in the long run,” Kevin said. “I know I would not be the competitor I am today without him.” 

The 2022-23 men’s basketball team qualified for the NACC Tournament by winning their final four NACC games of the regular season against Benedictine, Lakeland, Aurora and Illinois Tech. Those four wins sent the Regents to the conference tournament for the third straight year and for the fourth time in the last five years. 

The Regents entered the 2023 NACC Tournament as the number six seed, but unfortunately came up short in their first round game at third seed Marian University. Despite the postseason loss, Rockford still had an outstanding season. Rockford finished with a 13-11 overall record, marking the third straight year the Regents have posted a winning record, which is the longest such streak in 20 years. 

Tony Diemer Regents Basketball


This story was originally published the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Catalyst

By Sara Myers, Digital Media & Communications Specialist

2013 Rockford University BSMS Capstone Team

The year 2013 became the start of a new chapter for Rockford University. It was the year that the institution announced its name change from Rockford College to Rockford University. 

In honor of ten years since this milestone and their own graduation, multiple alumni from the class of 2013 shared their favorite college memories, and how RU prepared them for their careers. 

Joanna (Bares) Mladic

Joanna Bares (now Mladic) said she was originally drawn to Rockford College because of the vast volunteer opportunities available. Mladic studied history and secondary education during her time at RU, and initially aspired to be a history teacher, she said.

As a student she wrote for RU’s student newspaper the Recensio and participated in volunteer projects through Rotary International. She said her time in Dr. Catherine Forslund’s history classes were some of her fondest memories. That’s where she said she learned to analyze and interpret historical documents. 

“All my professors were wonderful,” Mladic said.

After graduating, Mladic decided that instead of pursuing a teaching career, she would use the skills she learned in Forslund’s history classes. In 2014, she worked at RU as a technical services assistant, serial manager and archivist. Later, she became RU’s Electronic Resources Librarian and Archivist. 

Today, Mladic works at the North Suburban Library District, located in both Loves Park and Roscoe, as the Global History Librarian.

Julia Halsted

By the time Julia Halsted began studying at RU, she already had a family and a home in Rockford. She said she needed a bachelor’s program with flexibility since her family was the first priority. She enrolled in the Rockford University Degree Completion Program.

“I ended up being a ‘comeback kid’ as they call it around here and relocated back to the (Rockford) area,” Halsted said. 

She said the program fit perfectly for her lifestyle. Halsted was able to finish her bachelor’s degree at her own pace. Halsted said she wanted to do something related to business so pursued the management studies degree. Since then, she has worked for RPS 205, the Rockford Park District, Winnebago County, and is now the Director of Operations of Administration and HR Finance at Region 1 Planning Council in Rockford.

When Halsted graduated from RU, she walked at commencement while pregnant with her second child, Anabel. 

“I chose to have Rockford University (instead of Rockford College) on my diploma,” Halsted said on her degree. “I think because I’m so forward looking, I was really excited to be among the first to have that distinction.”

Bill Newkirk

Alumnus Bill Newkirk was visiting friends who lived in the Rockford area when he heard about Rockford College for the first time. He said he was drawn onto the beautiful campus during that trip.

Newkirk received both his bachelor’s degree and MBA in accounting from RU, in 2012 and 2013, respectively. He credits his mother, who is a certified public accountant, for inspiring him to go into the accounting field. 

During his time at RU, he was involved in student government and was even a resident advisor, he said. He recalls having many professors who made an impact on him, such as Bob Evans, Bill Lewis and Hank Epstein. 

“It laid the foundation for my accounting knowledge,” Newkirk said.

Since graduating, he has taken over the family accounting firm, Newkirk and Associates, He said he has been able to use his foundation at RU in the real world and since 2016, has helped grow his family business.

Newkirk is now married to his wife Susie (previously Smith) who graduated RU in 2009. They have three children together.


This story was originally in the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Catalyst

By Sara Myers, Digital Media & Communications Specialist 

This year celebrates fifty years since the class of 1973 graduated from Rockford College (now Rockford University). Graduates from this golden grad class shared stories with us on why they are proud to call Rockford their alma mater.

David & Barbara Tanaglia

High school sweethearts Dave Tanaglia and Barb Ragnar (now Tanaglia) met at Auburn High School in Rockford. For their first year of college, they chose separate schools.

Dave received an athletic scholarship for swimming at RC, which secured his decision to stay in Rockford, he said.

Barb originally went to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois during her freshman year, but said she quickly realized a big campus was not for her. So, she decided to join her boyfriend —now husband — and other friends from Auburn at Rockford College.

“Besides David, there were a number of other people from our class in high school (at Rockford College),” Barb said. “It was almost like going to high school. It was a familiar environment.”

Aside from the social experience, Barb said she appreciated the visiting professors.

“As an economics major, I took a lot of history and English classes,” she said. “I remember one year we had one from France and he had lived through World War II. One of my economics professors was very bright, had a photographic memory.”

After getting her economics degree, Barb said she moved on to pursue a career in banking. Later she would get her Master of Library Science and switch careers.

While Barb progressed in her career, Dave used his Biology degree to become a veterinarian.

The couple later married after their time at Rockford College and eventually had two daughters.

Barb is currently on the RU Board of Trustees and is an active member of RU’s alumni association

“We both have had successful lives,” Barb said. “We want to give back to the university because we really feel that this is a place that has a lot to give people. We want to make sure that it stays successful in the future.”

Barry Smith

Barry Smith said he chose Rockford College after being influenced by his mother, an alumna from the class of 1939. 

Some of his fondest memories from the Rockford College days include special people like his academic advisor Dr. Victor Crawford. He said he also remembers the day he discovered that his sociology professor was actually his mother’s roommate during her time at RC. 

He even remembers getting to sing in the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C. in January 1973 with RC’s Regent Singers.

Smith graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 1973. He would later receive his doctoral degree in Plant Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Although he studied biology, Smith said he spent his entire career working in the Chicago advertising market through retirement. 

“I have valued my original liberal arts education, it has allowed me to do different things without having to be specifically trained in something,” Smith said. 

Now, Smith lives with his husband John Hobbs in North Carolina, where they live close to Hobbs’ grandchildren.

Rockford College students in 1973 ride bikesRockford College student chat on campus in 1973.

This story was featured in the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Catalyst

Photo by Mindy Joy Nutter Young
Sarah Reed-McNamara poses in her shop GEM. Photo by Mindy Joy Nutter Young.

By Sara Myers, Digital Media & Communications Specialist 

Rockford University Alum and Rockford Artist Sarah Reed-McNamara has been the owner of art/print shop GEM (Gather, Engage, Make), located in downtown Rockford, since its inception in 2019. 

Some may know her as the mayor’s wife, but Sarah wears multiple hats —wife, mother and owner of GEM, which was recently renamed to SRM (her initials) Prints. The soft opening was Tuesday, Aug. 1, but the grand opening is set for Saturday, this Aug. 5. 

Reed-McNamara is now the only owner of GEM, and started a new chapter on Tuesday, she moves her shop location down the street and will change her shop name to her business name: “SRM Prints.”

Reed-McNamara said she fell in love with printmaking while studying at RU. That interest was sparked early in life, which led to an art career that started online, later becoming brick-and-mortar, she said.

When one walks inside the printmaking studio and storefront, you can see the variety of art, prints, gifts, stationery items and more from Reed-McNamara and other artists alike.

Some of the art is specifically made by Reed-McNamara who found her artistic voice and developed a love of printmaking during her time at Rockford College (now University).

 

THE MOVE

Reed-McNamara first landed in the Rockford area during her high school years after growing up in Fox River Grove, Illinois, about 61 miles west of Rockford. After high school she moved around to Chicago, Madison, Wisconsin, and Montana before returning to Rockford in her mid-20s, she said. Reed-McNamara started attending Rockford College when she was around 27 years-old and decided on Art History as her major, she said.

“I never thought that’s what I would end up doing, but it’s what I loved,” she said. “I’ve always been pretty creative but never did studio art. But, I was determined.”

When she started studying art history, Reed-McNamara said she decided to take her printmaking as an elective course. She was influenced by her friend and then art mentor Dave Menard and his wife Molly who suggested she take the course. When she started studying printmaking she started to form favorite artists like German expressionists and learned linoleum block printing, she said.

Which is kind of funny because so many people think printmaking is scary,” she said. “But it just seemed like such an enjoyable elective to take. I just loved the process and making the prints and carving.”

Dave (Menard) in his classes talked a lot about preparing yourself as an artist for the outside work and don’t think you’re too good for anything when you first get going,” she said. “Which was huge for me just between humbleness and feeling secure in what you’re doing.”

Reed-McNamara also credits RU’s Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities Jennifer Langworthy for preparing her for a career in arts. 

After graduating in 2012, Reed-McNamara said she worked in the service industry full time at Rockford restaurant Octane, and did her art on the side at different pop-up events in town. She said she needed a name to put on her business cards so she called it “SRM Prints.” 

It was during this time that she met her husband Tom McNamara, the mayor of Rockford, at the downtown Rockford art event Greenwich Village Market. 

The couple married in 2011 and have two children together, who will often be present with Reed-McNamara at her store. Right after Reed-McNamara had her first child, her art career started to take off online, she said. 

I decided I wanted to keep moving forward with the storefront and go into this new space,” she said. “The layout works out much better for what I want to do long term, which is to have my studio inside of a storefront and have it blocked off by my checkout counter and have a really fun, happy, and inviting retail environment.”

SRM Prints is now open and located at 330 E. State St. in downtown Rockford. For more on SRM Prints, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy.

Alumni Sarah Reed McNamara's art at her shop GEMAlum Sarah Reed-McNamara sells kitchen towels with her handmade prints on them at her shop GEM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 27, 2023

Rockford University is hosting its first Dogs Days of Summer event. RU Alumni and the general public are invited to pack up their pup and join us for a walk around RU’s beautiful campus.

What: Rockford University 

When: Saturday, July 1, 2023, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Where: RU Johnson Alumni Center, Rockford University, 5050 E. State St, Rockford, IL, 61108

Who: Rockford University Alumni and the general public.

 

ROCKFORD, Ill. —Rockford University’s Advancement Office will be hosting its first Dog Days of Summer event on Saturday, July 1. RU Alumni and the general public are invited to bring their dog and guests for a walk around our beautiful campus. 

Attendees will check in at the RU Johnson Alumni Center, 5050 E. State St. in Rockford, where they will be served light refreshments. Free gifts will be distributed while supplies last.

Those wanting to attend are encouraged to contact RU’s Assistant Director of Philanthropy- Alumni & Affinity Groups Natali Monaghan at nmonaghan@rockford.edu with any questions. Registration is not required.

All dogs must be leashed and be updated on all vaccines. Don’t have a dog? All are still welcome to join us and enjoy a walk around campus. 

 

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Media related questions or interview requests can be sent to Communications@Rockford.edu. We ask the media to please RSVP by emailing us by 8:30 a.m. July 1, 2023. 

 

Contact:

Sara Myers

RU Marketing & Communications 

smyers@rockford.edu

815.394.5052

Faculty/Staff Opportunities

01/13/2023 10:40 am

Please save the date for October 13-14, 2023! We look forward to sharing more information soon. In the meantime, please contact us at alumni@rockford.edu

Student Events

01/13/2023 10:13 am

Please save the date for October 13-14, 2023! We look forward to sharing more information soon. In the meantime, please contact us at alumni@rockford.edu

Society of Golden Regents

01/13/2023 10:11 am

Please save the date for October 13-14, 2023! We look forward to sharing more information soon. In the meantime, please contact us at alumni@rockford.edu

Reunion

01/13/2023 10:08 am

Reunion 2023 was a success! Thank you to all who attended from near and far! And a big thank you to our Reunion Committee!

We’ve already begun planning for Reunion 2024, which will be in September! A Save the Date will be coming soon!

In the meantime, if you need anything, please contact us at alumni@rockford.edu

 

2023’s Golden Grads, including the newly inducted members from the Class of 1973