Three Western Illinois University health sciences alumni discussed their respective careers and one alumna was recognized for her career achievements at the annual Health Sciences Career Night Thursday, March 22 on the WIU-Macomb campus.
Speakers include Kelly Shiraki, a 2001 graduate, who works as a health educator at McDonough District Hospital (MDH) in Macomb; Bri Potts, a 2005 alumna, who is an environmental health sanitarian at the McDonough County Health Department (MCHD) in Macomb; and Suzzanne Murray, a 2004 and 2006 graduate, who is an accreditation specialist at OSF HealthPlans in Peoria, IL. Their respective biographies are below:
Kelly Shiraki, B.S. (2001)
Community Health Education
Kelly Shiraki majored in community health and minored in communications. She passed the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam in March 2001 and began working as a health educator with McDonough District Hospital (MDH) in April 2001. She was the first CHES employed at MDH. Her focus at MDH is Alzheimer’s, stroke and heart disease, osteoporosis, and grant writing.
Bre Potts, B.S. (2005)
Environmental Health
Bre Potts is fulfilled her internship requirement with her work as an AmeriCorps member at the McDonough County Health Department from December 2004 to December 2005. In November 2005, Bre became a full-time employee at the McDonough County Health Department as an Environmental Health Sanitarian. Her duties as a sanitarian include, but are not limited to, the Food Program, Sewage Program, Water Program, Tanning and Tattoo inspections, West Nile virus surveillance and outreach, radon awareness and outreach, general public health complaints, as well as others.
Suzzanne Murray, B.S. (2004), M.S. (2006)
Health Services Management and Health Education
Over the past 30 years, Suzzanne Murray has served and worked in a variety of settings and industries including a seamstress in a bridal store, a tool designer for heavy equipment manufacturers, the sole proprietor of Country Artworks (a manufacturer of home décor products), a medical equipment installation and sales representative, and a certified nurse’s aid. Suzzanne currently works in Quality Assurance as the Accreditation Specialist at OSF HealthPlans. This past fall, Suzzanne completed her first national quality audit as well as achieving the most successful quality audit in the history of OSF HealthPlans.
In addition, 1975 and 1981 graduate Sharon Pierce, retired assistant chief of the HIV/AIDS Program for the Division of Infectious Diseases-Illinois Department of Public Health, will be recognized as the 2007 Health Sciences Distinguished Alumna.
Ms. Pierce began her career as a dental hygienist for a dentist in Bushnell, IL. In June 1970, she served as a Public Health Dental Hygiene Advisor for the Division of Dental Health in the Peoria Regional Office of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). In January 1980, Ms. Pierce became an administrative assistant in the Division of Dental Health, IDPH. This involved fiscal management of $400,000 State-funded Dental Health Program. Ms. Pierce became the Assistant Chief, Division of Dental Health, IDPH in November 1981. Her work involved planning, coordination, and evaluation of the statewide $1 million Dental Health Program.
In March 1985, Pierce became the coordinator of the Experimental Organ Transplantation Program in the Division of Chronic Diseases, IDPH. She served as fiscal coordinator of the Family Planning Program, Division of Maternal and Child Health, IDPH (1991) and later the administrator of this program (1992).
In 1995, Ms. Pierce became the Assistant Chief, HIV/AIDS Program, Division of Infectious Diseases, Illinois Department of Public Health where she retired in December 2002. As noted by those who nominated for this award, “Sharon Pierce is a highly respected individual with her peers in Health Education throughout the State of Illinois. She has had a long and distinguished career with the Illinois Department of Public Health.” Although she retired from IDPH in 2002, she has not retired from public health. “She continues to be an advocate for the rights of mentally challenged individuals. She represents the Department of Health Sciences in a truly positive manner.”
John Jury, above pictured with Bonnie Smith-Skripps, dean of the College of Education and Human Services received an alumni achievement award at the December 2006 commencement ceremonies. Jury, a 1970 physical education graduate and a 1972 college student personnel graduate, retired from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point after a 32-year career. He served in a variety of positions over the years, including executive director of student development for 10 years. During his tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus, he helped shape a campus wellness program that has become a model for many other universities. He also was responsible for the development of an integrated student employment and organizational leadership program, the renovation and expansion of the university centers, the development of a state of the art wellness center and served as advisor to the university’s student-shared governance program for 25 years. He has also been active in the community, serving as the leading force in developing a 26-mile bike/hike trail, the development of various athletic and arts facilities, and assisting in the creation of the Portage County Leadership Institute, the Portage County Cultural Festival, a community triathlon, various other community celebrations and most recently the WalkWisconsin distance walking health initiative. Jury is currently the executive director of the Community Foundation of Portage County.
Derrick Golden, featured with Darrell Ross, chair of the law enforcement and justice administration department and Bonnie Smith-Skripps also received an alumni achievement award at the December 2006 commencement ceremonies. Golden, a law enforcement and administration (now LEJA) graduate, started his career with the United States Secret Service in 1996 in the Chicago Field Office, one of the busiest offices for the United States Secret Service. After four years he was re-assigned to the Vice Presidential Protection Detail, where he served from 2000 to 2003, traveling extensively throughout the world protecting Vice Presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney and their families. Golden was then transferred to Madison, Wis., where he served as the resident agent of the Madison Resident Agency. He has also served as the lead agent or shift leader for numerous domestic and international visits, including Afghanistan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Golden has protected former Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as current president George W. Bush. Golden is currently an assistant to the special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office located in Washington, D.C.
Rajesh (Raj) Bellani, '98, graduate of the College Student Personnel program in the Department of Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies, was prominently featured in the article, "After the Freshman Bubble Pops," in the September 8, 2006 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education. The article features successful sophomore experience programs, and highlights Mr. Bellani as the dean of Colgate University's Sophomore-Year Experience.
Shannon Fahey, '03, graduate of the College Student Personnel program in the Department of Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies, received the New and Emerging Profesisonal Award from the Student Affairs and Student Services Association, which is a division of the Canadian Association of COllege and University Student Services. The award recognizes outstanding potential in a professional in the field five years or less, and rewards service and leadership in the profession early in one's career.
Megan Johnson, ‘04, graduate in of the College Student Personnel program in the Department of Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies, was recognized as the Outstanding New Professional by the Association of Fraternity Advisors. Megan is currently Assistant Director of Coed, Fraternity, Sorority, Undergraduate, and Senior Society Administration at Dartmouth College.
Laurie Noll, ‘94, Educational Leadership, has received many grants as a result of her EDL 511 class. She has received grants from Alliant Energy Education ($2,300), Great River Foundations ($9,500 and $500), and Grade A Plus ($100,000). She was also runner-up for Teacher of the Year for the state of Iowa and has testified in front of Congress for Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa.
Deb Norton, ’98, Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration, won the awards from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Army for her article “Friendly Fires” in Intercom, a magazine for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Walla Walla District. Norton is a Natural Resource Specialist for the Dworshak Dam and Reservoir near Orofino, ID.
Eleven Alternative Certification Initiative (ACI) students graduated in August. ACI is an alternative route to administrative certification and is administered by the Department of Educational Leadership. Graduates are issued a standard administrative certificate to serve as an administrator in Illinois schools. Five of the eleven graduates are already serving as superintendents:
Andrew Brooks – South Pekin
Carol Kilver – Bluffs
Carole Crum – Calhoun CUSD #40
Francis Hinton – Peoria Public Schools
Terry Gutshall – Bureau Valley
Peggy McCann, ’99, Kinesiology, is a 2006 Ph.D. graduate from Michigan State and new faculty member in sport psychology at Sienna Heights University in Adrian, MI.
Takahiro Sato, ’06, Kinesiology, is currently enrolled in the doctoral program in sport psychology at the University of Tennessee.
Jude Butch, graduate student in the College Student Personnel Program in the Department of Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies, was recently named an Intern of the Year by the National Orientation Directors Association. He was one of four interns selected from 86 nominees. Mr. Butch completed an internship last summer at George Mason University in the Department of Orientation and Family Programs and Services.
At the recent conference of the Great Lakes Association of College and University Housing Officers in Springfield, Ben Parks, College Student Personnel graduate student in the Department of Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies was named the Outstanding Graduate Student for Illinois. In addition, College Student Personnel graduate students Joseph Anderson and Kevin Merrill placed first in the graduate student case study competition, while CSP graduate students Emily Mahler and Jacque McKenna placed second. This is the third consecutive year that WIU CSP graduate students have won this case study competition and the second year in a row that WIU teams finished in the two top slots.
Darcy Benway, ACI graduate from the Department of Educational Leadership, was recently named Superintendent of O'Fallon Township High School District 203.
Steve Mayo, '85, Athletic Training Education Program of the Kinesiology Department was recently received the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA) Hall of Fame Award at the IATA Honors Luncheon in Naperville. The award is reserved for those who have a minimum of 15 years active practice or service to the athletic training/sports medicine profession and have made a history of providing quality personal and professional contributions to the profession in the State of Illinois. Mayo works for Wheaton North High School.
See photos of Homecoming 2006!