Dr. Jelena Radovic-Fanta and Dr. Novia Pagone of the Division of Arts and Letters have received a $168,000 two-year grant from the Department of Education Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) program to make Spanish and Global Studies more accessible to students.

Dr. Caren Schranz, professor of occupational therapy, was awarded 2019 Occupational Therapist of the year by the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association.

Accounting and fraud examination professor William Kresse, J.D. was recently appointed to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Advisory Commission on Election Law, a 10-member, bi-partisan commission consisting of representatives of Congress, the president of the League of Women Voters, the chair and vice chair of the Federal Election Commission, election law attorneys, and academics.

Counseling professor Dr. Tamekia Bell has received the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association Distinguished Service Award for her service and significant contributions toward raising professional counseling standards for all counselors in Illinois.

Dr. Terri Winfree, recently named Executive Director of the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce, teaches Leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Extended Learning. Dr. Winfree is a 2000 alumnae of the Communication M.A. at Governors State.

Benjamin Rycraft, a 2020 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry graduate, and Ravikiran “Ravi” Yerabolu, who received a Master of Analytical Chemistry in 2012, serve on teams that created and produce the COVID-19 vaccines at Pfizer Pharmaceutical and Moderna, respectively.

Command Sergeant Major (ret.) Howard Robinson has earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Healthcare Administration and Public Policy (2006), as well as a Master of Health Administration from Governors State. Retired from the U.S. Army after achieving the highest enlisted ranking, Robinson now serves as the Senior Advisor to Sen. Michael E. Hastings in Illinois’s 19th District, as well as Trustee in the Village of Olympia Fields.

Rick D. Blasgen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) in Lombard, IL, graduated in 1982 from Governors State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis on finance.

Jeremy Joyce, College of Business alum and founder of the popular Black People Eats, was named among this year's Fortune 40 under 40. Read the article and join us in congratulating Jeremy!

Dr. Donna S. Leak, Superintendent of Sauk Village School District 168, graduated with a Master of Arts in Education Administration in 1995. In 2019, she was appointed Vice Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).