September 29, 2025

News for and about the Illinois Wesleyan community

IWU Ranks No. 2 Most Innovative College in Midwest by U.S. News

Adding to a growing list of national accolades, Illinois Wesleyan University has been recognized as the No. 2 Most Innovative College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report.

IWU, COUNTRY Financial Celebrate Milestones with Joint History Presentation

Illinois Wesleyan University and COUNTRY Financial will celebrate their shared history this month with a public program marking IWU’s 175th anniversary and COUNTRY’s 100th. Both organizations are partnering with the McLean County Museum of History to host the event at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at IWU’s Hansen Student Center.

Vân Lê '26 Traces Colonial Power and Identity Through Food

Vân Lê ‘26 wants to understand colonial power, and a great way to make that interesting to everyone is through food. She made this the focus of her research as an Eckley Scholar.

Mayor Brady Declares Sept. 23 as Illinois Wesleyan University Day

September 23 was designated as Illinois Wesleyan University Day by Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady. On that day 175 years ago, the 30 founders of the university created and signed a declaration of intent to establish IWU.

Rust '72 Champions Liberal Arts as Essential for Business Leaders

Ed Rust Jr. ’72 visited the Young Main Lounge at Illinois Wesleyan on Sept. 22 to deliver the inaugural address of the Kinder Brothers Distinguished Business Speaker Series. Rust is a member of the IWU Board of Trustees and was CEO of State Farm Insurance for 30 years.

WGLT Radio


A decade after retiring from insurance giant State Farm, former CEO and chairman Ed Rust Jr. ’72 is talking about the value of a liberal arts education in the field of business.

The Pantagraph

Illinois Wesleyan University and Country Financial will celebrate their respective anniversaries with a free public program at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30.

My Library Is...


University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian Liz Bloodworth shared how student researchers involved with IWU's Digital Humanities Fellowship Program helped the University celebrate the history of its libraries, alongside IWU's milestone 175th anniversary.

Homecoming Volunteers Needed

Interested in volunteering during Homecoming and Family Weekend 2025? There are plenty of opportunities to get involved! Complete this volunteer form to learn more about how you can lend a hand throughout the week. For questions about volunteering, contact Volunteer Engagement Officer Avary Kampwerth ‘24 at akampwer@iwu.edu.

Campus Events

Campus events can be found in MyIWU under the Events & Calendars tab.

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A research project by Assistant Professor of Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship Tara Gerstner '01 titled "AI Mistakes in the Classroom" was recently published in the Journal of Finance Issues.

Free yoga classes for faculty and staff take place on Mondays and Thursdays in the Shirk Center Niepagen South Classroom from 12:15 to 12:50 p.m. with Penny Brooks. Mats are provided.

"Today I choose peace over pressure, presence over perfection and progress over comparison. My heart is open, my mind is calm, and my soul is grounded in trust. I am exactly where I need to be." - Safe Place Club

Campus Weekly is an electronic newsletter from Illinois Wesleyan's Office of Communications, edited by Julia Perez, assistant director of communications. To submit items of interest, email webedit@iwu.edu.