Moms Board of Directors, 2012-2013

Thanks to everyone who attended Moms Weekend 2012! Congratulations to the Moms Association Award Winners:

• Moms Association Scholarship 2012
  This one time scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded to a full-time University of Illinois student who has successfully completed at least 24 college credit hours. The 2012 Moms Association Scholarship winners are:
  • Jacob Becraft, a junior majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  • Grant Blazina, a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering
  • Jovana Nguyen, a junior majoring in Actuarial Science and Communication
  • Liana Nicklaus, a sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering

• Humanitarian Service Awards
  The Humanitarian Service Award recognizes a graduate and an undergraduate student for outstanding and innovative service within the local community with a $250 monetary award and a $250 grant to an organization of the recipient's choice. Read about 2012 recipients Regina Hinders and Sara Khosravinasr.
  

• Medallion of Honor
  The most prestigious single award presented annually by the Moms Association. The award honors women associated with the Urbana-Champaign campus for their contributions that have enriched the lives of others. The 2012 Medallion of Honor has been awarded to Mercedes Ramirez Fernandez, Assistant Dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and Director of LAS New Student Advising. Read more about Mercedes Ramirez Fernandez here.
  
  
• llini Spirit Award
  The Moms Association accepts nominations for this award in the early spring each year, and award recipients are recognized at Moms Weekend. Campus Recreation of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the recipient of the 2012 Illini Spirit Award. Campus Recreation will use the award funds to contribute to their Adaptive Recreation Program for power wheelchair users.

• Mom of the Year
  The Amelia Alpiner Stern Mom of the Year award recognizes the support, encouragement, and inspiration that Moms offer their students. The Mom of the Year 2012 is Carol Richard. Read about the 2012 nominees, finalists, and winner!

Please fill out an online survey about your experience at Moms Weekend 2012!!

To view photos taken at the event by Memory Lane Photography and to order prints, visit here!

Commencement is May 13, 2012!

Visit the following link to make sure you know all the details regarding: academic attire (pick up/ drop off); tickets; ceremonies; and photographers. The Alma Mater will be wearing academic regalia from May 7-11 and will return to normal attire on May 12. Get a photo by the Alma Mater during Commencement Weekend-- one of the last times you can see her before she is removed for restoration for the upcoming year.

Congratulations to the 2012 graduates!

Senior 100 Honorary is a University of Illinois Alumni Association program that acknowledges notable UI seniors for both their past achievement and their future commitment to the University. The program serves a two-fold purpose: to honor what these select 100 have already accomplished and to recognize the skills of leadership and University loyalty these new graduates will bring to the world at large. As they were active campus leaders, so too will Senior 100 honorees bring their enthusiasm and sense of responsibility to their new communities as they continue to engage with the University of Illinois to help maintain its excellence and strengthen its stature.

Congratulations to the Senior 100 Class of 2012. To see the list, click here.

After 22 years in the Illini Union, Illini Union Director Ed Slazinik is leaving his position to serve as Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Auxiliary Services at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, effective April 30, 2012. In this position, Ed will oversee Auxiliary units, which includes the Illini Union (Parent Programs), Housing, Campus Recreation, McKinley Health Center, and a joint role with DIA in overseeing programming at Assembly Hall.  

We wish Ed all the best in his new role!

The 2012 Roger Ebert Film Festival takes place April 24-29 at the Virginia Theater in Champaign, with other events at the U of I. The festival features Citizen Kane, A Separation, and Joe Versus the Volcano. Guests will include the Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon, seen recently in the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire,” and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, seen recently in the film “Young Adult,” and a regular on the TV comedy “The King of Queens.”

The schedule of film screenings can be found at www.ebertfest.com, along with Ebert’s commentary and reviews of the films, festival updates, and information about panelists and guests.

The U of I festival events are free and open to the public.

The April 2012 issue of the Student Health 101: The Parent Perspective is now available online! Read about topics like:

• Top 10 Questions About Nutrition
• Dealing with Anxiety
• Mastering the Job Interview
• ...and more!

What's Online

• End of the Year Assessments: Ways to help your student reflect on the past year
• April Parent Survey
• Moms Weekend 2012 Survey
• Spring 2012 Newsletter, "Moms & Dads Illini"

Why Give to Student Affairs?

Just because our children “go off to college,” doesn’t mean that it’s the end of our involvement in their education and their lives. It merely means that our day to day, hands-on responsibilities are turned over to them, giving our children not just an academic education but the opportunity to discover on their own what the world has to offer. This new found freedom can be overwhelming, not just for the student, but for the parent as well. It’s wonderful to know that the University of Illinois Student Affairs is there to provide activities and programs that will support our students in the same manner we would if they were home with us. A donation to the Parent Fund is a small way for me to insure that there continues to be a connection and support system for my children as they find their way to adult independence. --- Gloria Pavese, Illinois parent

Funding from the state now accounts for less than 19% of the University’s total budget. That is a substantial reduction from the nearly 50% support the University received in the early 1980’s. Student Affairs depends on the support of alumni and friends to provide vital services and resources to our students that round out their education at Illinois. Your unrestricted gift to the Parent Fund will:

• Provide programs that offer non-alcoholic alternatives to clubs and bars
• Create an inclusive environment supportive of diversity and prepare students to be citizens of a global community
• Encourage student development and growth through cultural and professional programs
• Provide continued communications and programming to parents and families through the Illini Union Parent Programs Office

GIVE TODAY!

Important Dates

The Dads Association at the University of Illinois has allocated a portion of its funds
generated through Dads Association activities to help fund and aid worthy projects that
promote the safety, guidance, care, and well-being of our children attending the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If you are a registered student organization,
not-for-profit association, or University department that has a project or program
requiring financial support for the 2012-2013 school year, please apply.
Deadline: May 30, 2012. More info on how to apply can be found here.

Each year, the Moms and Dads Associations of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign coordinate a tuition drawing. The first place student is awarded $10,000 toward their tuition and expenses ($5,000 for Spring 2013 and $5,000 for Fall 2013), and the second place student is awarded $5,000 toward tuition and expenses ($5,000 for Spring 2013).

Winners will be announced at the November 10, 2012 Dads Day Football Game; winners need not be present to win. 1 ticket for $10.00. 6 tickets for $50.00. All proceeds benefits Moms and Dads Associations Projects.

For a full list of rules and entry instructions, please click here. For more information, contact the Illini Union Parent Programs Office at 217-333-7063 or at uofiparents@illinois.edu.

Summer registration will be here before you know it! Parent Programs is looking for volunteers for summer registration! Registration is coordinated by the Office of Admissions-- the Parent Programs Office runs a workshop in the morning that involves parent volunteers and has a table at the afternoon information fair that parent volunteers staff. Volunteers are needed from 8:00am to 4:00pm on the following days. Lunch vouchers and housing in residence halls are offered to volunteers.

If you are interested in helping out with these events, visit https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/5961822 to sign up, email the Illini Union Parent Programs Office at uofiparents@illinois.edu, or call (217) 333-7063.

The purpose of Sexual Assault Awareness Month at UIUC is to raise awareness about sexual violence and to educate the campus community and individuals about how to prevent sexual assault and support survivors of sexual assault.

To see a calendar of events, visit here.

The Ignite Leadership program focuses on the skills necessary for effectively leading formal groups and organizations. Students who participate can expect to develop skill in leading change initiatives, as well as learn about systems thinking and coalition building. Of particular interest at Ignite is that students will learn about organizational successes of past Illinois students and work to develop a plan for their own change initiative.

Monday, May 14, 9:30am- 6:00pm, Illini Union, FREE to U of I students
For more information, visit: http://www.illinoisleadership.illinois.edu/

Please make a point to come to these workshops, we would love to see you!  Everybody is welcome. A typical workshop is spent by making art based on a theme with our free supplies while sharing with others in small groups.  This is a nurturing opportunity for self-care through creativity, and we believe everybody could benefit by taking a little time for self-reflective art making in this busy world. Come and feel free to bring a friend or two!

Monday, April 30, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Women’s Resources Center, 703 S. Wright Street, 2nd floor

ILLINOIS IN THE NEWS

Learn about some of the cutting-edge research by University of Illinois Professors and students. To read more articles about Illinois in the News, visit the University of Illinois News Bureau website.

Researchers Use Brain-Injury Data to Map Intelligence in the Brain

Scientists report that they have mapped the physical architecture of intelligence in the brain. Theirs is one of the largest and most comprehensive analyses so far of the brain structures vital to general intelligence and to specific aspects of intellectual functioning, such as verbal comprehension and working memory.

University of Illinois neuroscience professor Aron Barbey, led the study that is published in Brain: A Journal of Neurology. The study is unique in that it enlisted an extraordinary pool of volunteer participants: 182 Vietnam veterans with highly localized brain damage from penetrating head injuries.

Click to read more.