Five Faculty Appointed as Endowed Professors

Might 3, 2022

BLOOMINGTON – 5 Illinois Wesleyan College faculty members were being honored as endowed
professors throughout the 2022 graduation ceremony. 

The custom of appointing school as endowed professors and chairs is reserved for
IWU faculty who have distinguished on their own by exemplary training and lively
engagement of learners, fantastic scholarship or creative achievement and service
at the extremely greatest levels of the University. 

Professorships are named in honor of the generous donors who designed the award attainable.

“The guiding basic principle in awarding an endowed professorship or chair is that the specific
signifies our highest aspirations for college members on this campus,” reported President
Georgia Nugent for the duration of the ceremony. 

The endowed faculty and their professorships consist of:

Professor of English Joanne Diaz was accorded Illinois Wesleyan University’s Isaac Funk Professorship. Diaz joined
Illinois Wesleyan in 2008 and acquired the 2022 Kemp Foundation Award for Instructing Excellence. Diaz earned a master’s in resourceful
producing from New York University and a doctorate in English literature from Northwestern
College. Her poetry perform has appeared in quite a few publications, which includes American Poetry Critique, Poetry Magazine and New England Assessment. 

Professor of Biology Edgar Lehr was accorded Illinois Wesleyan University’s Robert Harrington Professorship. Lehr joined the school of Illinois Wesleyan in 2009. His
analysis and publications have been acknowledged by Countrywide Geographic and the Alexander
von Humboldt Foundation. Lehr earned a master’s diploma in biology from Johannes Gutenberg
University Mainz, Germany, and a doctorate degree in zoology from Johann Wolfgang
Goethe University Frankfurtam Major, Germany. His principal exploration focuses on the biodiversity
of amphibians and reptiles in the neotropics. 

Professor of Physical Training and Head Men’s and Women’s Monitor Mentor Christopher Schumacher was named a Ben & Susan Rhodes Professor of Peace and Social Justice. Schumacher
joined the faculty of Illinois Wesleyan in 1997. He has led Titan track and industry
athletes to a number of NCAA Championships and has been named NCAA Coach of the Calendar year
a number of situations. Schumacher gained his bachelor’s and master’s diploma in bodily education
from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. He also serves as the IWU Athletics Range
& Inclusion Designee. 

Professor of Political Science James Simeone was also named a Ben & Susan Rhodes Professor of Peace and Social Justice. Simeone joined the college of Illinois Wesleyan
in 1992. Simeone is the co-founder of IWU’s Action Exploration Heart and the originator
of IWU’s Advocacy Slight. He acquired a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degree in
political science from the University of Chicago. His exploration examines the growth
of liberal democratic values and establishments amid the pressures of absolutely free marketplace capitalism
and team identification politics. 

Professor of New music and Director of Choral Pursuits Scott Ferguson grew to become the Rosetta Sherff Professor of Music. Ferguson joined the college of Illinois
Wesleyan in 1996. He gained a bachelor’s degree at Oberlin Conservatory, a master’s
degree in good arts from the University of California, Irvine, and a doctorate in
musical arts from the College of Wisconsin, Madison. His choirs have appeared on
tour around the world and he has offered choral workshops and lectures in the U.S.,
Europe and South The us. 

A comprehensive list of Illinois Wesleyan Endowed Professorships can be found right here. 

By Julia Perez