August 15, 2023

Titan Tuesday is a weekly newsletter sent to students, parents, faculty, and staff throughout the school year. The goal is to keep any updates and reminders in one place to make important information easy to access. Titan Tuesday will also spotlight different students each week and celebrate the accomplishments of our Titan Community. These newsletters are full of important information, so depending on your email preferences, you may need to select "View Entire Message" at the bottom of this email to read Titan Tuesday in its entirety. We look forward to bringing you important updates each week and invite you to reach out if you have questions or topics to include.

The beginning of the year is filled with new information and routines. The Student Affairs Newsletter is filled with more important information to help navigate these first few weeks of school, including move-in tips, health office information, and how to pay student fees.

IMSA is happy to announce that Dr. Angela Rowley has been appointed Interim Principal and Chief Academic Officer for the 2023-2024 academic year. Dr. Rowley has served as the Director of Statewide Educator Innovation at IMSA since 2018.  

Dr. Rowley is an experienced school administrator and published educator specializing in curriculum and instruction, cultural competency, and educator professional development. She has earned an Illinois Superintendent License, an Illinois General Administrative License for teacher growth and development, and several K-12 teaching credentials.

Prior to coming to IMSA, Dr. Rowley served as principal of Fred Rogers Magnet Academy, where she created and opened a new STEM magnet school, designed the STEM-focused curriculum, and received over $1 million in grant funding. She cares deeply about developing relationships and supporting faculty and students.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Rowley worked at IMSA as a Resident Counselor, Hall Coordinator, and Admissions Counselor. Thus, she profoundly understands our academic and residential education program.

We are thankful for Dr. Rowley’s continued exceptional work at IMSA and look forward to benefiting from her leadership this coming school year.

• The first day of classes will be Monday, August 21, this will be an "A-Day" of full classes.
• We welcome new faculty members: Dr. Mohan, computer science; Ms. Walker, biology; Dr. Buck, history; Ms. Diaz, English; and Equity Instructional coach, Mx. Lamb.
• The Principal's Office and Attendance Office have moved to the office suite at the front of the Academy, right by the security desk, stop by and say hello. We are looking forward to a TRANSFORMATIONAL 2023-24 academic year!

Add/Drop Deadline

The Add/Drop sign-up sheets will be available in the CAC office on Monday, August 21. This year's Add/Drop day is Wednesday, August 23 (I-day) from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

This year, IMSA will be transitioning from using a FOB to a "proximity ID card" to gain entry to buildings. Students will receive a proximity card that will serve as their I.D. and a smart key card to access the Main Building and Residence Halls. Students will continue to receive a physical key for their room.

Students should keep these proxy ID cards with them at all times. If lost, replacement keys or I.D. Card will cost $15.00. Students found without an I.D. card in their possession must show proof by the end of the day. If proof is not provided, the old card will be deactivated, a new I.D. card will be produced, and a processing fee will be charged. We discourage students from connecting I.D. Cards to physical keys.

Further questions can be directed to Willie M. Mayes, Campus Safety and Security Operation Director. Thank you!

Download the LiveSafe App

LiveSafe allows IMSA to connect with students directly in cases of emergency situations such as severe weather, school closures, safety drills, and more. This safety tool also allows community members to report incidents and emergencies.

Other important safety and security resources are available including SafeWalk, a feature in which users can invite contacts to virtually follow their progress on a walk to ensure they reach their destination safely. This app is a primary means of relaying important communication to our IMSA community.

The LiveSafe app is available in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Saturday, August 26, 2023

12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Every year, IMSA kicks off the school year with a free Carnival on campus full of games, rides, and carnival food. All students, staff, faculty, and their families are invited to attend and enjoy! 

Carnival would not be possible without the generous donations from our IMSA community and our amazing volunteers. If you would like to sign up to donate prizes or volunteer for a one-hour shift at Carnival, please complete the interest form by clicking the button.

Each year, IMSA holds a three-hour Day of Service during Welcome Week. This year, we invite the entire student body, faculty, and staff to participate in this opportunity to give back to our IMSA community and the communities around us. Several meaningful service locations are available in the morning or afternoon, including Feed My Starving Children, Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry, Anderson Humane Society, and many more!

If you would like to participate in Day of Service from afar or have items to donate, please see the list of donation needs from some of the organizations we are partnering with.

Welcome to the 2023-2024 academic year! I very much look forward to welcoming students at Convocation to kick off the year. As we return from summer, many students are coming back from experiential opportunities that launched their interest in research. Check out this team of students who went to China for an enrichment experience at Westlake University. We also had a crew of students at IMSA doing research in drug discovery with Dr. Thurmond this summer. Special thanks to Dr. Kapale and his team at Western Illinois University for hosting a group of IMSA students for research in computer science, chemistry, and astronomy. These types of experiences aren’t just exploring in the lab, but also tons of fun through additional activities and fellowship.

Knowing our students are from all over, IMSA desires to create research and internship experiences around the state. These experiences are transformational in students’ development because they transcend boundaries in their learning and lead to new discoveries. To expand such opportunities, we appreciate when professionals help out, either as a mentor (in-person or remotely) or through contacts you may have in research, entrepreneurship, and innovative fields. Certainly, we have a network of alumni and past mentors who help; however, our future opportunities can be expanded through families who live all over the state. Please reach out to me at eglazer@imsa.edu if you have ideas through your profession to enrich IMSA student experiences during the year or during the summer. I’d love to make connections and have a bit of IMSA present in many hometowns.

The Center for Innovation and Inquiry (IN2) is offering information on different Competitions throughout the school year. These events range from entrepreneurship/Innovation pitch competitions, writing and/or art Contests, scholarships, and everything in between.

These competitions and contests are open to all students. 

If you are interested in participating or competing, either solo or as part of a team, please fill out this brief form. You must be registered on this form to receive the competition's emails. Stop by IN2 if you have any questions!

Student Spotlight

Yash Yardi '25 recently hosted a panel on artificial intelligence's role in education through AI x Education, an organization founded by UIUC Computer Science students. The conference featured 60 speakers and over 4000 guests from influential organizations including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google for Education, and institutions such as Harvard, UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, and the University of Toronto.

After a competitive application and interview process, Yash was offered the position of moderator and led a segment called "K12 - Redefining Education in the AI Era" This segment focused on transforming language and literature education through AI while considering challenges like ethics and plagiarism.

Regarding his experience, Yash states, "Overall, being a part of this conference was an incredible experience, from the preparations until the day of my event. I was intrigued by what I was researching, the value it plays in changing the education system, and the future of AI. The rise of gigantic foundation models like ChatGPT and Bard caused so much more thought to be put into the applications of AI in places like schools and universities, which greatly inspires me to continue learning more about AI where it is most relatable to me. I hope to stay involved with the AI x Education team in the future and get further opportunities through computer science at IMSA."

Please complete the Academic Achievement Submission Form if you have been recently recognized in your field, published, or celebrated for your academic or professional achievements. If you have any questions, please contact Alex Johnson at ajohnson2@imsa.edu.

Free Resources for Students

Mark Your Calendars! 

August 15 - Student Leader Move-In from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.

August 16 - Sophomore Move-In from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

August 17 - Junior Move-In from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Senior Move-In from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

August 18 - Convocation

August 21 - First Day of Classes

August 23 - Day of Service

August 26 - Carnival