The Western Illinois University Veterans Resource Center hosted its Spring 2021 Veterans Leadership Awards Ceremony Friday, May 14.

Awards presented during this year’s event include:

• Outstanding Military Service and Leadership Faculty Award – Psychology Professor Robert Intrieri for commitment to and mentorship of students

• Outstanding Military Service and Leadership Staff Member Award – Law Enforcement and Justice Administration Academic Advisor Monica Eskridge for commitment to students and work with student veterans

• Outstanding WIU Department Military Service and Leadership Support Award – Staff and administrators in the WIU Registrar’s Office, for work with student veterans and the Military Activation Policy, and WIU Department of Kinesiology faculty members Professor Ritchie Gabbei, Professor Tamara Bories and Instructor Anne Dixon for their work with a student who was activated by the military for the COVID-19 response.

• Outstanding Military Spouse/Significant Other Award – Vicente Alvarado, for the exceptional support he provided his wife, 2021 WIU graduate Jennifer Lopez, who was activated by the military for the COVID-19 response.

In February, WIU was named a “Military Friendly School” for the 11th year in a row, by Viqtory/Military Friendly. The University was the only four-year public institution in Illinois to receive the distinction. WIU was also selected as a 2020 “Best for Vets College” by Military Times magazine, ranking 24th out of 134 four-year institutions across the U.S.

Veterans, Reservists and National Guard personnel make up a significant and statistically higher number of the students at WIU than at most other college or university campuses. These personnel make up between 5-10 percent of all students at Western. This academic year, more than 50 of those students were activated by the military, sometimes two or three times.

Because of this, the Veterans Resource Center personnel believed the awards presented to campus faculty and staff have even more significance.

For more information about the Veterans Resource Center at WIU, visit wiu.edu/student_services/veterans.

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Sean Leary is an author, director, artist, musician, producer and entrepreneur who has been writing professionally since debuting at age 11 in the pages of the Comics Buyers Guide. An honors graduate of the University of Southern California masters program, he has written over 50 books including the best-sellers The Arimathean, Every Number is Lucky to Someone and We Are All Characters.