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Spring 20 Issue

Faculty Stories

Faculty Notes

Class Notes

In Memoriam

Inside This Issue – Catalyst Spring 2020

Catalyst is published by the Marketing and Communications and Alumni offices within the Advancement Division. Letters to the editor, feedback, feature suggestions, and class notes are welcome.

Contact information: Office of Marketing and Communications, 815-394-5041 or Communications@rockford.edu

Message From The President

Greetings from President Fulcomer

Greetings from Rockford University! The English expression “May you live in interesting times” certainly applies to living through 2020. Over the last few months, we have weathered a storm that we didn’t see coming. But as a liberal arts institution that values the development of critical thinking and transferable skills that help one respond to unforeseen challenges and opportunities, we were prepared. 

Faculty Stories

Q&A Session: Elizabeth Davies, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Q: What drew you to Rockford University?   A: The opportunity to work on a gorgeous campus at an esteemed educational institution that is so committed to its students and community was irresistible!  Rockford University has a terrific reputation, and is...

Q&A Session: Damian Evans, Associate Vice President of Student Life & Diversity Officer

Q: Can you describe the role of a Diversity Officer at Rockford University?  A: The role of the Diversity Officer at Rockford University is to champion goals and outcomes and create a climate that allows all members of the RU community to be authentic in their...

Mitigating the Skills Gap

By Deepshikha Shukla, Ph.D.  The rapid acceleration of technological advancements in the modern era fueled by internet-based technologies and unprecedented growth in semiconductor chip design has exposed a skills gap in today’s workforce. Forbes magazine reports:...

Art Gallery Director Talks Sculpting, Career Beginnings

By Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist  Some may say that Ari Norris was born to be an artist, having been raised by two artists. Norris’ parents taught art classes at Muskegon Community College in Muskegon, Michigan, where he grew...

Featured Stories

See Our New Softball & Baseball Fields

See Our New Softball & Baseball Fields

By Kayla Eddy, Social Media & Web Coordinator  Rockford University Athletics has had an outstanding year. With the introduction of flag football, two brand-new athletic fields, exciting seasons for many teams, and a winning Esports program, the future looks...

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Our Story

Our Story

By the 1974 Golden Grads Reunion Committee Looking out the windows of the O’Hare/Rockford bus or from the comfort of our parents’ cars, we drove past endless cornfields as we made our way to a college campus many of us had not ever set foot on, in a city we hadn’t...

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Faith Gomez ‘24 Awarded Grant

Faith Gomez ‘24 Awarded Grant

By Sara Myers, Digital Media & Communications Specialist RU Student Faith Gomez was mentored by Dr. Filiz Dik, Dr. Deepshikha Shukla, and others in the SMN (Science, Math & Nursing) College and was awarded a $2,500 grant to create a STEM camp for middle school...

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Alumna Emily Hartzog Rises to the Top

Alumna Emily Hartzog Rises to the Top

By Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist  Though she grew up in San Diego, California, RU Alumni Emily Hartzog’s mother convinced her to look at a small, private school in Illinois when Hartzog was looking at colleges.  Her...

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New Opportunities Offer a Brighter Future

New Opportunities Offer a Brighter Future

by Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist  Rockford-born and raised graphic design graduate Geniss Scharnweber ‘24 was described by some as a “nontraditional student.” Scharnweber did not decide to attend college until she was in her...

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Regent Heroes

Regent Heroes

During the past several months, Rockford University alumni have proven their dedication to their professions.

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Seaver Transformed

Seaver Transformed

Rockford University’s $3.5 million Seaver Physical Education Center renovation was completed, ahead of schedule and on budget, on May 29.

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Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Business & Accounting Orhan Erdem, Ph.D., gave a presentation to the Rockford Rotary this past January where he highlighted several outstanding cases about the global economies and mentioned ties of several social and economic developments to the 2008 financial crisis. In addition to his talk, Orhan also published his book titled After the Crash: Understanding the Social, Economic and Technological Consequences of the 2008 Crisis with Palgrave Macmillan.

 

Read more about other faculty accomplishments, including published works, presentations, and awards.

Rockford University Professor Orhan Erdem

THREE WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LEGACY

With a little preparation, planned gifts can be made now to immediately support Rockford University’s needs or they can take effect in the future as a way to leave your legacy.
Anyone can make a planned gift. Consider these three popular options:

A gift in your will or revocable living trust.

Work with your attorney to include a few simple sentences in your will or living trust. Plus, you can change your mind at any time because this gift doesn’t go into effect until after your lifetime.

A gift of your retirement plan assets.

By naming us as the primary beneficiary on the designation form for a percentage (1–100) of your account’s final value, you can make a tax-wise gift to support Rockford University.

A gift of your bank or brokerage account.*

By placing a payable on death or transfer on death designation on your bank or brokerage account, you can name our organization to receive the funds.

Leave a Lasting Legacy

 

Contact us today at 815-394-3756 or legacy@rockford.edu to learn more about the benefits of planned gifts.

*State laws govern payable on death accounts and transfer on death accounts. Please consult with your bank representative or investment advisor if you are considering these gifts.