Penelope BlakeBlake was named 2005 Faculty of the Year at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Ill., where she teaches humanities. She was nominated for the award by students and college staff. Blake recently published a book, "My Mother's Fort: A Photographic Tribute to Fort Des Moines, First Home of the Women's Army Corps," which examines her mother's experience as a member of the Women's Army Corps during World War II.
Paul SerenoSereno is a world renowned dinosaur paleontologist whose discoveries include: Carcharodontosaurus (the world's largest dinosaur), Herrerasaurus, Eoraptor, Afrovenator, Suchomimus and Deltadromeus. He is a professor in the University of Chicago's Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy where he teaches paleontology and evolution to graduate and undergraduate students and human anatomy to medical students.
Girard “Jerry” WeberWeber, president of Kankakee Community College since July of 2001, has spent a quarter-century improving the community college experience. During his time in Kankakee, the college has fulfilled several key goals set by its Board of Trustees, including increasing enrollment (to more than 6,000 students), adding new programs and services and completing facility plans and renovations. The college also adopted an accreditation and planning process based on continuous quality improvement.