Campus News

Rockford, Ill. (June 04, 2021) – The International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC) and Rockford University announce a strengthening of its partnership with the creation of a long-term location for the center at the university’s 5100 Building.

The IWBC will conduct business at the 5100 Building, which also houses the university’s Puri School of Business while awaiting the completion of its capital campaign which is raising money for the creation of an activity center and museum located at Beyers Stadium in Rockford.

“The International Women’s Baseball Center is thrilled to open its first physical office on the campus of Rockford University,” says Dr. Kat Williams, President of IWBC. “From our early days in Rockford, Dr. Fulcomer and faculty supported us, worked with us, and are now providing us with a home. It is very fitting that our first office is on this campus where women have always been given a chance to learn and to grow. We are honored to be part of that great legacy.”

IWBC and Rockford University have long-partnered through the university’s Community-Based Learning Program, which links the classroom to the community in an experiential learning process. RU classes and athletic programs have volunteered their time to projects with IWBC and will continue to support the center moving forward.

“Rockford University has a long history of pioneering women and our partnership with the International Women’s Baseball Center is a natural fit as we share a mission to educate, give back to the community, and support the long proud history of women in Rockford and beyond,” said Dr. Eric W. Fulcomer, President of Rockford University. “We are pleased to offer the center a home while they work toward their goal of establishing a permanent cultural center in our city.”

In September, Rockford University will host the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) and IWBC Women in Baseball Conference.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S BASEBALL CENTER

At the International Women’s Baseball Center, education is the cornerstone of our mission to protect, preserve, and promote all aspects of women’s baseball, both on and off the field.  The IWBC strives to inspire the next generation of players by helping them realize their dreams not only of participating in the sport but also of passing on all they will learn and achieve for generations to come.

ABOUT ROCKFORD UNIVERSITY

Rockford University is a private four-year, co-educational institution founded in 1847 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The University offers more than 80 majors, minors, and concentrations, including the bachelor’s degree completion program for a B.S. in Management Studies. Through its Graduate Studies department, degrees are extended to include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), and Master of Education in Urban Education, (M.Ed.). Rockford University is home to one of only 11 Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapters in Illinois, the most prestigious honor society in the United States. Named by The Princeton Review as a Best Midwestern College and is a U.S. News & World Report Best Midwest Regional University, Rockford University currently serves approximately 1,250 full-and part-time students.