Campus News

By Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist

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 That’s where she said she learned to analyze and interpret historical documents.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-Hogshead, 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.

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

By Sara Myers-Hogshead, Digital Media & Communications Specialist 

As the summer of 2022 neared its end, one Rockford University marketing student said he wanted to do something that would benefit other RU students. Dominick Welte, a junior, decided to launch his podcast RU (Rockford University) on Air at the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester. 

Everyday, dozens of people step foot on Rockford University, making it easy to stay within the shadows, Welte said. Through the university-centered podcast, Welte said he has been able to bring people into the spotlight. 

“The goal of the podcast is just to try to highlight different people at school because I feel like Rockford University has so much talent,” Welte said. “This is a way to highlight some of our athletes, students and teachers and just help everyone get to know each other and build a little bit more community.”

Welte will start his senior year in Rockford University’s Business College this fall. He is a double major in marketing and economic finance, and said he plans on adding an accounting minor. 

Director of Student Involvement and Orientation Alex Johnson has been helping Welte with the podcast by purchasing all the necessary podcast equipment and giving each unedited episode a first listen before it goes live, Welte said.

Talking to a variety of students, faculty and staff for the podcast has been one of the best parts since launching, Welte said. His guest list has included  performing arts students, men’s basketball players, men’s volleyball players, football players, PURI School of Business faculty, and a Rockford University campus security officer, just to name a few.

“I’m always looking to get new people in,” he said. “It’s an application that you fill out. We try to randomly select someone from the application. Anyone who wants to go and sign up and we choose from there.”

The application link can be found in the bio of the podcast’s Instagram.

Make sure to check out RU On Air, which is available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and Buzzsprout.  

A shortened version of this story can be found in the Spring 2023 Catalyst.