Kaplan University celebrated the graduation of its winter 2010 class during a live ceremony on Jan. 30 in Miami, FL. General Colin L. Powell, the 65th Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, served as the commencement speaker. The following local students were awarded degrees:

• Stacy Bramstedt of Blue Grass, IA, was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
• Catherine Hoy of Davenport, IA, was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
• Amber R. Long of Taylor Ridge, IL, was awarded a Associate of Applied Science in Accounting.
• Genenda Milloy of Moline, IL, was awarded a Master of Arts in Teacher Education.
• Nichole R. Payney of Rock Island, IL, was awarded a Associate of Applied Science in Health Sciences.
• Amber L. Runge of Davenport, IA, was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
• Corey Thompson of Davenport, IA, was awarded a Master of Education in Teacher Education.

"You can improve yourselves using the incredible power of this revolution [in online education] ...It's how Kaplan University has grown and continues to grow. This revolution will speed through this country because of its effectiveness and power," Gen. Powell told the graduates during the ceremony at the James L. Knight International Center in Miami. "Today celebrate your achievements; tomorrow get back online and determine what you are going to do next."

The Kaplan University winter 2010 class of more than 3,300 students earned their associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees - as well as professional certificates - completely online. Many of them traveled from around the country and the world to attend the ceremony, meeting face-to-face for the first time.

About Kaplan University

Kaplan University offers a different school of thought for higher education. It strives to help adult students unlock their talent by providing a practical, student-centered education that prepares them for careers in some of the fastest-growing industries. Based in Davenport, Iowa, the University is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Kaplan University offers more than 125 academic programs and serves more than 63,000 online and campus-based students. To learn more about Kaplan University, visit www.kaplan.edu/talent.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (01/21/2010)(readMedia)-- The artistic and musical talents of Augustana students will be the focus of the third annual Augustana Sights and Sounds at Bucktown Center for the Arts (225 E. 2nd St., Davenport) on Friday, January 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. The free event will feature distinctive student photography from both Augustana and Quad-City area high school students and a raffle fundraiser for the Fistula Foundation.

Augustana Photo Bureau students will display a series of photographs that highlight student life on the Rock Island campus, experiences in the Quad Cities or the world through international study programs. The event will incorporate the photography on display with several existing galleries and music. Three pieces of artwork will be raffled off by the Augustana Artisans to benefit the Fistula Foundation. These include two paintings from Augustana student Maria Ford and a photograph by Hunt Harris, a local businessman.

High school photographers who would like to be featured can submit their work in the categories of music, dreams, urban wilderness and portraits by January 18. Members of the Photo Bureau will judge the entries, and winners will receive scholarships to Augustana College.

Photo Bureau students featured in the show are Veronica Smith, Corynn Hanson, Dana Gustafson, Maren Mathisen, Mark Marogil, Matthew Peters, John Cairns and Grace Drenth. Smith, who serves as the Photo Bureau manager, assisted with planning the event. To view a students' work, click on each name to access a high-resolution photograph.

From your area this includes:

Mark Marogil, a sophomore from Moline, IL majoring business administration-advising.

Grace Drenth, a first year from Davenport, IA majoring liberal studies.

The Augustana Photo Bureau was established in 2005 to support the publications, events, news and online needs of the Office of Communication and Marketing. The bureau has grown to support other departments and special events on campus. Under the direction of their advisor, Marla Alvarado Neuerburg, the students have the opportunity to learn and apply photographic skills.

Midcoast Fine Arts is a non-profit agency created by artists to promote regional artists and cultural organizations that advance the quality of life and marketability within the Quad Cities. The Bucktown Center for the Arts opened in 2005 as a creative community for local artists.

The Augustana Artisans is a student organization created to appreciate, create and share the love of art. The club meets weekly to learn and create art and hold sales to raise money for charities such as the Fistula Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses on the treatment and prevention of fistula worldwide. Fistula is a hole that can develop between a woman's birth passage and one or more surrounding organs over many days of obstructed labor or as a result of sexual violence. To learn more about the organization, visit www.fistulafoundation.org/index.html.

The Augustana Photo Bureau and the MidCoast Fine Arts are coordinating the event during Bucktown's monthly Final Friday art show. For further information about the event, contact Marla Alvarado Neuerburg at (309) 794-7632 or marlaalvarado@augustana.edu.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls nearly 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 60 majors and areas of study. Augustana employs 226 faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.

DES MOINES, IA (01/19/2010)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald wants every second and third grade teacher in the state to take advantage of the free pencils being offered through Prepare for the Basics. This no-cost program, which provides pencils for students to use during the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, supplied almost 13,500 during the 2008-09 school year. "Any teacher interested in receiving free pencils for their class have until April 1st to submit their requests," stated Fitzgerald. "I really hope all teachers take advantage of this program. It is a small gesture of appreciation for all that they do."

Teachers who would like to take part in the Prepare for the Basics program can register online by visiting www.treasurer.state.ia.us and clicking on the financial literacy tab. Materials should be requested at least two weeks prior to testing to ensure timely arrival, and will be delivered directly to the participating schools. Supplies are limited, so early registration is advised. For more information about College Savings Iowa, go to www.collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-888-672-9116.

The Prepare for the Basics program will also provide information about College Savings Iowa, the state's 529 plan designed to give families an affordable way to save money for college. "Families who begin saving early are better prepared to meet the educational needs of their children. Any little bit that can saved now will offset what has to be borrowed in the future," stated Fitzgerald.

College Savings Iowa lets anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - invest for college on behalf of a child. Iowa taxpayers can deduct up to $2,811 in contributions per beneficiary account from their adjusted gross income in 2010.* Investors do not need to be a state resident and can withdraw their investment tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses including tuition, books, supplies and room and board at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad.**

*Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.

** Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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ROCK ISLAND, IL (01/14/2010)(readMedia)-- 834 students have been named to the Dean's List at Augustana College for the 2009 fall term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term.

From your area, students who have earned this honor include :

Martha Ade from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in general studies.

Faria Ahmed from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in psychology, biology, and pre-medicine.

Drew Allen from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in international business.

Samuel Alvarado from Davenport, IA, a senior majoring in chemistry.

Amber Anderson from Port Byron, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Samuel Anderson from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in math and computer sciences.

Erica Aten from Coal Valley, IL, a sophomore majoring in psychology.

Angela Bahls from Rock Island, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Carrie Bestian from Taylor Ridge, IL, a senior majoring in elementary education.

Allie Bierhaus from Bettendorf, IA, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Nicholas Borchert from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in English and philosophy.

Jasmine Brooks from Davenport, IA, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Ryan Brummet from Moline, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Nicholas Camlin from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in political science.

Kevin Carton from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in communication studies, French, and Africana studies.

Angela Congrove from Davenport, IA, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Brittany Dalton from Eldridge, IA, a senior majoring in pre-medicine.

Adam DeSimone from Bettendorf, IA, a sophomore majoring in economics.

Grace Drenth from Davenport, IA, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Brianna Dyer from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in English/language arts education.

Megan Ferris from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in elementary education.

Melissa Fobert from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in accounting and business financing.

Neil Friberg from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in general studies.

Alyssa Harmon from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in business administration.

Thomas Harris from Davenport, IA, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Victoria Hays from Milan, IL, a junior majoring in accounting.

Kjerstin Hurty from Moline, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Mohammed Hussain from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in biology and pre-medicine.

Nicole Johnson from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in English/language arts education.

Clare Kilbride from Rock Island, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Manisha Kumar from Davenport, IA, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Mary Lambrech tfrom Moline, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Paul Lambrecht from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in history education.

Jasmin Landeros from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in elementary education.

Megan Lecander from Sherrard, IL, a junior majoring in business administration.

Thomas Lemon from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in history and business management.

Megan Lonergan from Davenport, IA, a senior majoring in elementary education and math.

Amy Malmstead from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in business administration.

Benjamin Marine from Coal Valley, IL, a senior majoring in biology, pre-medicine, and business administration.

Crystina Mayfield from Coal Valley, IL, a sophomore majoring in general studies.

Nathaniel McDowell from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in English and philosophy.

Lauren Mentado from Moline, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Kelsey Miller from Milan, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Courtney Mitten from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in psychology.

Emma Moran from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in biology, pre-medicine, and Spanish.

Allison Mulherin from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in biology.

Rayna Narvaez from Bettendorf, IA, a junior majoring in psychology and Spanish.

Leart Neziroski from East Moline, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Justine Nuguid from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in pre-medicine and biology.

Jacob O'Rourke from Bettendorf, IA, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Luke Osborne from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in classics with a Latin emphasis.

Andrew Palm from Rock Island, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Kayla Papish from East Moline, IL, a junior majoring in math education.

Douglas Peters from Port Byron, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Srividya Prabhu from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in biology and pre-medicine.

Andrew Randone from Davenport, IA, a senior majoring in political science.

Bridget Reich from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in psychology.

Lauren Reid from Sherrard, IL, a sophomore majoring in business administration.

James Sales from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in biology.

Alyssa Schroeder from Coal Valley, IL, a senior majoring in business finance and accounting.

Andrew Shaffer from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in history.

Alex Sieg from Bettendorf, IA, a senior majoring in biochemistry.

Anna Smith from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in biology.

Mark Stumphy from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in biology.

Josephine Swanson from Rock Island, IL, a sophomore majoring in biology.

Astrid Tello-Rodriguez from Milan, IL, a first-year majoring in general studies.

Theodore Teros from Moline, IL, a sophomore majoring in philosophy.

Katherine Vander Vennet from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in business marketing and communication studies.

Courtney Vandewiele from Rock Island, IL, a junior majoring in political science and accounting.

Bret Vandewoestyne from Silvis, IL, a senior majoring in biology.

Felipe Villagomez from Moline, IL, a junior majoring in anthropology and business administration.

Maria Vital from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in Spanish.

Katherine Voigt from Bettendorf, IA, a junior majoring in biology.

Audrey Waner from Davenport, IA, a junior majoring in art.

Emily Weller from Rock Island, IL, a senior majoring in art education.

Jacob Wells from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in biology.

Peter Wessels from Bettendorf, IA, a sophomore majoring in business administration.

Lauren White from East Moline, IL, a junior majoring in accounting.

Eric Wigand from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in business finance.

Nicholas Wilczynski from Moline, IL, a senior majoring in pre-medicine and biology.

Laurel Williams from Sherrard, IL, a sophomore majoring in communication science and disorders and English.

Jennifer Youngs from Taylor Ridge, IL, a sophomore majoring in general studies.

Deanna Zwicker from Orion, IL, a junior majoring in business finance.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls nearly 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 60 majors and areas of study. Augustana employs 226 faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.