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Susan Brown received the inaugural Bertha Grieshaber Fink Nursing Scholarship. Pictured l-r: Rodney Fink, Bertha Grieshaber Fink and Susan Brown.
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Amy Jo Byers received the inaugural Willis Kinley Baise and Alan Baise Memorial Scholarship, presented by Mathematics Professor and Chair Iraj Kalantari (left) and Vice President for Advancement and Public Services Dan Hendricks.
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Paul Mundschenk, philosophy and religious studies professor emeritus, announced his new scholarship fund in religious studies, which will support the department's new baccalaureate degree in that field.
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New Scholarships, Funds Cap CAS 50th Anniversary Dinner

October 30, 2008

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MACOMB, IL - - Two new scholarship funds were announced for Western Illinois University's College of Arts and Sciences at its 50th Anniversary Celebration/Second Annual Scholarship Fundraising dinner held Oct. 18 in the University Union.

The inaugural Bertha Grieshaber Fink Nursing Scholarship was presented to nursing student Susan Brown (Tennessee, IL), a registered nurse working at McDonough District Hospital who is among the inaugural class of Western's School of Nursing's RN to BSN degree program.

The inaugural Willis Kinley Baise and Alan Baise Memorial Scholarship was presented to freshman mathematics major Amy Jo Byers (Ferris, IL), who is also a Presidential Scholar; a Residential Scholar recipient; a scholarship track and cross country runner for the WIU Westerwinds; and a recipient of the E. Glenadine Gibb Mathematics Education Scholarship and the Leon L. and Marion B. Lamet Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to high school graduates from Hancock or nearby counties.

The long-standing Dorothy R. Hanson Scholarship was presented to Patty Smith (Bushnell, IL), who is also in the inaugural class of Western's RN to BSN degree program.

Paul Mundschenk, professor emeritus of Western's philosophy and religious studies department, announced his new scholarship fund in religious studies, which will support the department's new baccalaureate degree in that field. Department Chair and Professor John Simmons provided base-level significant support to the Mundschenk Scholarship in Religious Studies.

A new scholarship fund in nursing was set up by the College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of the Illinois Board of Higher Education's recent approve of the program's new four-year baccalaureate degree program.

The Department of Women's Studies also announced the first-ever scholarship fund for women's studies students at WIU.

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Inessa Levi said that the more than 200 people present at the dinner had raised in excess of $30,000, eclipsing the inaugural dinner's total of just over $7,400.

"I knew we had great support among the immediate community and the greater community of alumni of the college. However, this exceeded everything I could have hoped for in terms of success for the event," Levi said. "Despite a challenging economy, our current and retired faculty, alumni and community leaders really showed what can be done when we are all working toward a common goal."

WIU Provost Jack Thomas said that going into the University's Capital Campaign, "The College of Arts and Sciences remains one the busiest areas of the University. Not only has the college enjoyed a history of achievement, we can look forward to a bright future as well."

The College of Arts and Sciences had received recent approvals by the Illinois Board of Higher Education for two new nursing degrees, two new liberal arts and sciences degrees and a degree in religious students.

"It was great to see so many people come out to support scholarships in the College of Arts and Sciences," said WIU Vice President for Advancement and Public Services Dan Hendricks. "Dean Levi and her staff continue to set the bar high for fundraising in the University. I am pleased to see this sort of event strike a chord with a group as diverse as the one that attended the event Friday night. It shows that our development efforts are certainly on the right track as our Capital Campaign continues."

The College of Arts and Sciences started the scholarship fundraising dinner as part of its 2007 Homecoming activities.

"I am truly grateful and humbled by the support we received. Now that we are sure we can make the event a success, it is our hope that we can make this a new tradition in the college," said Levi. "We have already started to plan the third annual dinner for Oct. 16, 2009!"

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