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New Basketball Coach Jim Molinari | Webb Endows Professorship |Oliva Named Distinguished Alumnus | Alumnus Russ Michna Leads Chicago Rush | WIU Uses New Advertising Technology

New Basketball Coach Jim Molinari

Jim Molinari has been named new head men's basketball coach at Western Illinois University.

After serving head coaching stints at Northern Illinois and Bradley during the 1990's, Molinari spent three years as an assistant, which included nearly a full season as interim head coach at Minnesota, followed by a season as an assistant coach at Ball State. Now Molinari returns to the state where he made his name as a head coach.

Molinari was born and raised in Illinois and after making a name for himself as a successful Division I coach in the state of Illinois, he just couldn't stay away for too long.

Click here to read more on Molinari.

Webb Credits Mentor Josephine Johnson and Endows Professorship

Dan K. Webb, one of the most recognized and distinguished alumni of Western Illinois University and his wife Laura, recently pledged $500,000 to establish an endowed Professorship for Political Science and a Pre-Law Scholarship in their names. He is the only alumnus to be awarded the three highest honors Western can bestow: the Alumni Achievement Award, Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. In addition, Webb has served on WIU's Board of Trustees and currently serves on the President's National Advisory Council.

In January 2008, Webb pledged $500,000 to establish the Dan and Laura Webb Endowed Professorship in Political Science and the Dan and Laura Webb Pre-Law Scholarship Fund. This gift is in addition to the previously funded Keith Webb Memorial Scholarship in memory of his father, and the Dan Webb Political Science Internship.

Click here to read the full story.

Oliva Named Distinguished Alumnus

The outstanding accomplishments of Samuel Nicholas Oliva will be recognized Saturday, May 10 when he is presented the Western Illinois University Distinguished Alumnus Award at Spring Commencement Exercises.

The Distinguished Alumni Award, given since 1973, recognizes alumni who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and have brought credit to the University and themselves through their professional accomplishments or community service at local, state, or national levels and have extended meritorious service for the advancement and continued excellence of WIU.

For more on Oliva, click here.

Former Leatherneck Russ Michna Leads Chicago Rush to Playoffs on WIU Night

Are you ready for some football … in May?!

Former WIU quarterback and Western alumnus Russ Michna '02 MBA '04 leads the Chicago Rush arena football team in their playoff game against the Los Angeles Avengers on Monday, May 19 at All State Arena. Western Illinois University alumni, friends and students looking for the perfect summer evening activity are invited to a pregame tailgate hosted by the WIU Alumni Association.

Michna, the starting quarterback for the Rush, was a four-year member – and two-year starting quarterback, of the Leathernecks football team. He set single-season records for passing yards (3,160) and total offense (3,327) as a senior in 2003.

The WIU-Rush connection doesn't end there. Chicago Rush Account Executive Ryan Simmons is a 2002 broadcasting alumnus who is coordinating the WIU night at the Rush Game. During his time at Western he was a play-by-play announcer for Leathernecks football on WWIR-TV (now WIUTV).

The tailgate begins at 4 p.m. in the parking lot on the west side of the arena with a designated space reserved for WIU. Those fans traveling with multiple cars are asked to park their cars without grills in the main parking lot and then join the rest of the group in the tailgate area. In the event that the tailgate area fills up, the arena will open an auxiliary area in another location in the parking lot.

The cost is $5 per person for the tailgate (food will be provided, bring your own drinks) and ticket prices vary based on location. Discounted tickets for "WIU Night" are $20 (upper sideline); $15 (upper corner); and $8 (upper endzone). To register, call the Alumni Association at 309-298-1914 or visit www.wiu.com/alumni.

WIU Uses New Advertising Technology in Windy City

As part of its spring marketing campaign, WIU is using new advertising technology in Chicago. Digital billboards are being placed in select high traffic areas in the city including the route to and from O'Hare International Airport on I-294 at North Avenue.

According to Director of University Marketing, Kristin Dunstan, "Western has been given the chance to be one of the first institutions in Illinois to utilize this new display technology in Chicago. It is a great opportunity to feature Western and another way to help Chicago residents and visitors learn about the excellence that is Western Illinois University."

**Congratulations to the May winner--Dorie Seils Vallillo '77 '81. She found Rocky in the Big Bogey Classic article on the College of Education and Human Services web page. Watch for your chance to win in June!

Can you find this exact Rocky (in black and white) some where else in the eNewsletter? If you find him, email us at A-Association@wiu.edu and let us know where he was placed. If you're the first one to email us, you'll win a WIU Prize Pack! Good luck.

Congratulations to the April winner--Lisa Cross Bathe '91. She found Rocky in the 1957-58 Basketball Season full story.

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