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WIU Kinesiology Faculty Honored for Work with Student Veterans

May 18, 2021

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MACOMB, IL – Faculty from the Western Illinois University Department of Kinesiology were honored Friday, May 14, during the annual Veterans Leadership Awards ceremony on campus.

Professor Ritchie Gabbei, Professor Tamara Bories and Instructor Anne Dixon were nominated for the outstanding faculty honor by WIU student and active duty military soldier Eduardo Rios Martinez, a senior physical education K-12 major from Beardstown, IL. Martinez was activated by the U.S. Army Feb. 1 as part of the COVID-19 response.

In his nomination letter, Martinez credits all three teachers with being supportive when he was activated.

"They went above and beyond by getting me the proper information and guiding me toward the right people in order to make my transition as smooth as possible," he said. "Ms. Dixon was flexible and very understanding of my situation and kept communication with me to see how I was personally doing, and also to see how I was doing in her class."

Gabbei and Bories attended Friday's ceremony to accept the award. Gabbei said students who are veterans and in-service military students are a great contribution to not only their courses, but the campus community as a whole.

"They bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience from performing their duty in demanding scenarios where excellence and accuracy are a standing order," he said. "Their contribution makes for a richer culture for our campus and in our classes. Their service to our country deserves our service in the classroom."

For more information about the programming WIU offers for student veterans, visit wiu.edu/veterans.




Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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