The Aurora University Center for Adult and Graduate Studies, along with several veterans organizations, will have informational booths set-up in the theatre’s lobby.

“Aurora University has a long history of serving veterans through our adult and graduate programs,” said Emily Morales, Director of Adult Degree Completion Programs. “The goal of the fair is to bring together, in one place, various resources available to veterans and their families.”

The following organizations are scheduled to be onsite:

• American Legion Post 84
• Aurora Navy Council
• Aurora University Center for Adult and Graduate Studies
• City of Aurora Veterans Advisory Council
• DuPage County Veterans Center
• Fox Valley Marines
• Hope for Tomorrow
• Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
• National Cemetery Association
• US Department of Veterans Affairs – Chicago Regional Office

The following speakers also will present throughout the afternoon:

3:30 p.m.         Presentation: Federal Veterans Benefits
Ryan Miles and Sandra Hatch, US Department of Veterans Affairs

4:30 p.m.         Presentation: DuPage County Veterans Center Services
Pat Wasisco, DuPage County Veterans Center

5:00 p.m.         Presentation: Aurora Navy Council mission and membership
COL (R) Richard Todas, Aurora Navy Council

5:30 p.m.         Presentation: State of Illinois Veterans Benefits
Wesley Yi, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs

6:30 p.m.         Veterans Homelessness, PTSD and Substance Abuse
Jeff Gilbert, Hope for Tomorrow

The fair is cosponsored by Aurora University and the DuPage County Veterans Center. For more information, contact the City of Aurora Veterans Council Member Art Sheridan at 630-897-7998 or asheri9150@aol.com.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,800 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

The MSN program, offered at the Aurora, Ill. and Woodstock, Ill. campuses and online, is designed for nurses who are interested in stepping into leadership roles in the health care field. Candidates can choose to pursue the administration track or the nurse educator track. In both programs, students work closely with experienced faculty to gain an understanding of policy, research and scientific study. The administration track includes the study of organizational theory, the business of health care and human resources, while the nurse educator track focuses on curriculum development, assessment and other issues in nursing education.

“CCNE accreditation is confirmation of the quality and integrity of Aurora University’s Master of Science in Nursing program,” said Carmella Moran, Director of the School of Nursing and Dean of Aurora University Online.

In addition to the master’s program, Aurora University offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree accredited by the CCNE, an RN to BSN Degree Completion program, and post-graduate certificates in nursing administration and nursing education. For more information, please visit aurora.edu/nursing or aurora.edu/msn. To learn more about online nursing programs at AU, visit online.aurora.edu.

The challenge offers athletic training students from universities nationwide a unique opportunity and provides an avenue to actively support the NATA Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the profession of athletic training through research and education. Participating groups were invited to compete and implement fundraising campaigns during the spring 2013 semester.

SATSO set out to host an event in March to promote “March is Athletic Training Month.” The student group organized the AU Athletic Training 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, March 24, raising nearly $3,000 for the NATA Foundation.

“I am proud of their level of commitment to promoting our athletic training profession,” said Sarah Radtke, Associate Professor of Physical Education. “They worked hard and paid attention to every detail. The event was a huge success.”

SATSO is a highly involved student organization on AU’s campus that supports athletic training students through educational and scholarly opportunities. They provide an environment for discussion of issues related to sports medicine and also are involved in various community service projects.

SATSO will receive a commemorative plaque and be recognized at the 2013 NATA Annual Meeting in June.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,400 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

The first two workshops, the Japan Studies Association Freeman Institute and the East-West Center’s Institute on Infusing Asian Studies into the Undergraduate Curriculum, each help faculty members to more effectively integrate Japanese and Chinese content into their teaching and curricula.

Soderstrom joined the Aurora University faculty after completing his PhD in History at The Ohio State University in 2011. His primary research specialty is Russian history—and, in particular, Russia’s place within Asia. He studied Chinese history as a secondary field while at Ohio State, and has traveled throughout Russia, Siberia, China, Japan and Vietnam. He looks forward to participating in these workshops in particular for the ideas he can gather to improve coverage of Japanese and pre-modern Chinese history in the courses he teaches and is currently developing.

The Japan Studies Association Freeman Institute, an intensive three-week workshop on Japanese culture and history for faculty from two- and four-year universities, will take place at Tokai University, a Japanese university in Honolulu, Hawaii. The East-West Center’s Institute on Infusing Asian Studies into the Undergraduate Curriculum is also a three-week workshop in Honolulu, but it will be held at the East-West Center, a nonprofit organization established by the US Congress in 1960 and affiliated with the University of Hawaii. It will focus on faculty and program development aimed at enhancing undergraduate teaching and learning about Asian cultures and societies. Both institutes will give Soderstrom the opportunity to interact with leading Asian studies experts.

Both programs were highly competitive. Soderstrom will be one of only 10-14 U.S. professors who will travel to Hawaii for each seminar.

“As a professor, it is great to have this kind of opportunity to continue to learn and grow,” said Soderstrom. “I will be able to come back and integrate what I have learned into the curriculum at Aurora University, further enriching the experiences of our students during their time here.”

Soderstrom also hopes to bring ideas back for the East Asian Culture Society, an AU student organization he advises that is dedicated to enhancing the awareness among the Aurora University community of world cultures, specifically those of East Asia. “This is another venue where I can share what I learn,” said Soderstrom.

The third seminar Soderstrom will attend is the Big History Summer Institute, which will take place at Dominican University of California. This unique five-day seminar is designed for university faculty interested in learning and teaching Big History, which attempts to provide an interdisciplinary view of history that combines both human and natural history into a single narrative.

For further information or interview opportunities with Soderstrom, contact Sara Meers at 630-844-5488 or smeers@aurora.edu.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,400 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

The ceremony for graduate students will be held at 10 a.m., followed by the undergraduate ceremony at 2 p.m. A total of 1,384 students will be graduating on the Aurora campus; another 124 students will participate in the commencement ceremony at the George Williams College of Aurora University campus in Wisconsin on Saturday, May 4.

At the AU afternoon undergraduate ceremony, David Aquino, an accounting major and recipient of the Spartan Award, will offer his reflections to the 2013 graduating class. Voted on by faculty, the prestigious award is the top annual student honor.

Aquino has been extensively involved as a scholar and volunteer on the AU campus and beyond. He has served as a senator for the Aurora University Students’ Association, treasurer for the Accounting Student Association and treasurer for Delta Mu Delta, the international business honor society. He also served as treasurer and president of the Latin American Student Organization and was active with the Dunham Scholars program. His service work includes volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, Feed My Starving Children and AU’s Morning of Service.

“To me, the Spartan Award isn’t just another award,” said Aquino. “It recognizes the relationships I’ve built during my time as a college student. It represents the people I’ve met and the faculty, staff and students I’ve had the opportunity to work with at AU.”

The university will present an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Magda Brown, a frequent visitor to the Aurora University campus who spends time speaking with students about her first-hand experiences as a Holocaust survivor. Her citation reads in part, “She is open, truthful and courageous as she connects AU students to the reality of the Holocaust in powerful ways. No longer is this chapter of history merely something they read about in text books. Thanks to Brown, our students will remember and teach their children to remember. She has changed their lives, helping them discover what is important to them.”

Both the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies will be streamed online at aurora.edu/commencement. The university is located at 347 S. Gladstone Ave. in Aurora.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,400 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

A group of Aurora University leaders and STEM experts from throughout the western suburbs today asked the state’s lawmakers and top officials for additional support for a high-tech STEM academy at the university.

The group, led by Aurora University President Rebecca L. Sherrick, met with Gov. Pat Quinn’s office, Speaker Michael Madigan, House Republican Leader Tom Cross, local lawmakers and state leaders. They urged the officials to approve an additional $5 million in capital funding, which is needed to break ground on the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School.

Aurora University has already raised $7 million for the project, which is expected to cost $12 million. The university has donated land valued at $4 million. The proposed state investment would not come from general tax revenue, but would instead be fee-funded.

“While the state budget is tight, it would be unwise for us to stick our heads in the sand and not look at the future of science and engineering in Illinois and the United States,” Sherrick said. “To train our scientists of the future, Illinois must invest in grade school children and projects such as the STEM Partnership School.”

When fully operational, the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School on the Aurora University campus will serve approximately 200 students in third through eighth grades from four area public school districts (Aurora East, Aurora West, Indian Prairie and Oswego).

The school will be staffed via a unique professional development model. Teachers will be drawn from the four partner districts and will earn content-based STEM master’s degrees during their residency in the school. They then will return to their home districts ready to serve as teacher leaders and a new cohort of professionals will take their places.

The school’s curriculum will be aligned to new educational standards and is being developed cooperatively by the four participating districts, the university, the corporate sector, and governmental and not-for-profit partners.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,400 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

The following admission events will be held in May:

Thursday, May 2, 4:30 p.m., Master of Science in Mathematics Information Session – The Master of Science in Mathematics is designed for mathematics educators interested in enhancing their teaching skills with content-based coursework. Students must hold a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or a related field of study with extensive coursework in mathematics. Join us to learn more about this program from faculty and admission representatives. Information: 630-844-4643 or mgaspari@aurora.edu. Location: Institute for Collaboration, Room 213, 407 S. Calumet.

Thursday, May 9, 5:00-7:00 p.m., Adult Degree Completion Spring Open House – Learn how you can complete your bachelor’s degree at Aurora University. Information will be provided on our degree completion programs offered in accounting, business administration, communication, criminal justice, marketing, psychology, RN to BSN and social work. Attendees are encouraged to bring their transcripts for an immediate evaluation of prior college credit. Information: 630-844-5294 or AUadmission@aurora.edu. Location: University Banquet Hall in Alumni Hall, 1410 Marseillaise Pl.

Wednesday, May 22, 6:00 p.m., Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis Information Session – Join us to learn about how you can gain professional preparation for improving the lives of children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Graduate faculty, admission representatives and financial aid counselors will be available to answer your questions. Information: 630-844-5294 or AUadmission@aurora.edu. Location: University Banquet Hall in Alumni Hall, 1410 Marseillaise Pl.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,300 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

CIC selected 21 faculty members to participate in the seminar, “Dutch Art, Patrons, and Markets,” which will take place at the High Museum June 23–28, 2013. A complete list of participating faculty members can be found below. The seminar aims to strengthen the teaching of art history to undergraduates at smaller colleges and universities. Catherine Scallen, chair of the Department of Art History and Art at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she has taught since 1995, will lead the program.

Dutch art of the 17th century has long been popular for the visual pleasures of its naturalistic scenes, but it also represents a landmark in the development of the modern art world. During the 17th century, the practices of making and buying art boomed as never before. With the creation of the first large-scale open art market, prosperous Dutch merchants, artisans, and civil servants bought paintings and prints in unprecedented numbers. Foreign visitors were astonished that even modest members of Dutch society, such as farmers and bakers, owned multiple works of art. Dutch 17th-century art saw the rise of new subjects as well, where landscapes, still lifes, and scenes of daily life replaced formerly dominant religious images and scenes from classical mythology. Portraiture, too, flourished in this prosperous atmosphere.

“The seminar will be especially valuable for faculty members at institutions without large campus museums or proximity to major art museums. Art historians in all fields and studio artists, as well as faculty members who specialize in history, European studies and related fields will find this seminar of interest,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “We believe that Libby will play a strong role in the seminar.”

“As a professor, it is great to have the opportunity to re-visit being a student,” said Karlinger-Escobedo. “Participating in a seminar like this is an experience that I can bring back and share with my students at AU, both the knowledge gained and an example of what we mean by continuous learning. Even as teachers, we can keep on learning and finding new things to get excited about.”

For more information, visit the CIC website at cic.edu/ArtHistory.

CIC Participants in 2013 Seminar on Teaching European Art
Jeffrey Baldus, Briar Cliff University (IA)
Beverly Carter, Grove City College (PA)
Rick Cary, Mars Hill College (NC)
Garth Claassen, The College of Idaho
Perry Johnson, Virginia Intermont College
Libby Karlinger-Escobedo, Aurora University (IL)
Heidi Kraus, Hope College (MI)
Andrea Lepage, Washington and Lee University (VA)
Jane Long, Roanoke College (VA)
Ted Murphy, Houghton College (NY)
Morgan Page, Lyon College (AR)
Sylvia Rhor, Carlow University (PA)
Gabrielle Rose-Curti, Simpson College (IA)
Emily Stokes, Northwestern College (IA)
Montana Torrey, Lane College (TN)
Virginia Troy, Berry College (GA)
Lindsay Twa, Augustana College (SD)
Carolyn Watson, Furman University (SC)
Gregory Winterhalter, Southern Vermont College
Leanne Zalewski, Randolph College (VA)
Ann Zerger, McPherson College (KS)

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,300 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of 645 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and more than 90 higher education organizations that has worked since 1956 to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities as well as conferences, seminars, and other programs that help institutions to improve the quality of education, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility. CIC also provides support to state fundraising associations that organize programs and generate contributions for private colleges and universities. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.

The High Museum of Art was founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association and today is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States, with a membership base of over 50,000 that ranks it among the top ten art museums in the nation. Located in Atlanta’s midtown arts and business district, the High has more than 12,000 works of art in its permanent collection, with holdings and curatorial positions in the following art disciplines: American, European, decorative arts and design, folk, modern and contemporary, and African. The European collection includes the Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts.

The new program will accompany the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership – Principal Endorsement Program that was approved in October 2012. The rigorous Principal Endorsement Program prepares graduates to become principals and assistant principals through 36 semester hours of coursework, including 90 hours of course based field experience and 240 hours of internship experience, which gives candidates the opportunity to directly apply what they are learning in class.

“We are proud to be one of only two Illinois universities that have been approved to offer both Master of Arts in Educational Leadership programs,” said Jocelyn Booth, Assistant Dean and Director of Master’s Programs for the College of Education. “We look forward to educating candidates and collaborating with local districts to jointly prepare future instructional leaders, principals and assistant principals.”

Both programs will begin in June 2013 and offer two summer courses, meeting Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

In addition to the master’s degrees, Aurora University also offers two tracks in the Doctor of Education in Leadership program, which stretches educational leaders as they meld theory, academic study and professional practice. The EdD Leadership in Administration prepares candidates to serve as superintendents or district-level school leaders, and the EdD Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction readies graduates for work in district K-12 curriculum leadership or in educating adults.

In the program’s ten-year span of graduating EdD students, graduates of the administration track lead or have led 28 school districts, making an impact on student learning and educational policy in both Illinois and Wisconsin.

“Our graduates tell us that they never knew they could grow so much in such a short period of time,” says Joan Fee, Chair of EdD Programs. “The course work provides them with strong preparation for their jobs and critical applications for their future careers.”

“The AU faculty were not only of highest caliber, but were personable and cared about each individual student,” said Jamie Reilly, Golf School District 67 Superintendent and graduate of the EdD Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction and EdD Leadership in Administration. “They were there to support us through the entire process, and even after graduation. In our courses, AU professors provided resources and connections that helped frame the challenges that we face in our positions each day and shared case studies that applied directly to our own districts.”

Reilly will move on to her second superintendecy position in July of this year as Superintendent of Maercker District 60. Below is a complete list of EdD Leadership in Administration graduates who have been recently hired to serve as superintendents beginning July 1, 2013.

Andy DuRoss – Schaumburg District 54
Lisa Hitchens – Batavia School District 101
Daniel Hollowell – Bourbonnais Elementary District 53.
Jamie Reilly – Maercker District 60, Clarendon Hills
Tim Shimp – Yorkville District 115
Janet Stutz – Orland Park School District 135

For additional information, contact Andi Danis, Program Manager, at (630) 844-3857 or adanis@aurora.edu.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,300 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.

Given Sierra Leone’s national priorities of peace building and youth empowerment, Dr. Bulanda will use a participatory action research approach to engage in a critical discussion and investigation of the mental health needs and perspectives of adolescents in Freetown and use the results to inform how the field of social work can help address these needs through direct practice, program development, and policy advocacy.

Dr. Bulanda is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2013-2014.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 310,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in government, science, the arts, business, philanthropy, education and athletics. Forty-four Fulbright alumni from 12 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize and 81 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. Prominent Fulbright alumni include: Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank, and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient; Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia; Lee Evans, Olympic Gold Medalist; Rita Dove, former U.S. Poet Laureate and 1987 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry recipient; Riccardo Giacconi, Physicist and 2002 Nobel Laureate; Amar Gopal Bose, Chairman and Founder, Bose Corporation; Renee Fleming, soprano; Jonathan Franzen, Writer; and Daniel Libeskind, Architect.

Fulbright recipients are among more than 40,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. For more than 60 years, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has funded and supported programs that seek to promote mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education.

For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit http://fulbright.state.gov or contact James A. Lawrence, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, telephone 202-632-3241 or e-mail fulbright@state.gov. For interview opportunities with Dr. Bulanda, contact Sara Meers at 630-844-5488 or smeers@aurora.edu.

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Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating more than 4,300 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus in Aurora, Ill., AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis., and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Ill. Learn more at aurora.edu.