OLNEY, Ill. — Olney Central College Associate Professor of Life Sciences Dr. Sarah Bergbower’s commitment to excellence in clinical laboratory science is earning national recognition, including the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science’s prestigious 2026 Scientific Research Award.  Dr. Bergbower received the honors during the Joint Annual Meeting of the ASCLS, the Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT) and the Society of American Federal Medical Laboratory Scientists (SAFMLS). 

OLNEY, Ill. — Olney Central College Associate Professor of Speech and Communication Jessica McDonald was one of just 14 educators selected from colleges and universities across the United States to participate in the Alan Cornell U.S. Campus Faculty Seminar at Yad Vashem, Israel’s World Holocaust Remembrance Center. 

Kim Cox moved from Robinson in 1977, but he has long maintained close ties with the town where he grew up. His latest love letter to Robinson is the self-published book "Historical Handbook of Crawford County, Illinois," a 445-page history of the county and its early settlers illustrated with historic and current photos.

The Lincoln Trail College Foundation is making a major investment in the future of career and technical education at LTC, providing funding for the college’s new Career and Technical Training Center, specialized training equipment and future program growth.

A student working alongside an entrepreneur. A small business owner meeting with an adviser. An employer connecting with a potential employee. A community member learning a new skill. Lincoln Trail College President Tona Ambrose sees all of those possibilities, sometimes happening at the same time, inside The 618 Project.

A series of moves at Lincoln Trail College this summer have transformed two familiar campus spaces, creating new places for students to eat, shop, study, socialize and, eventually, access academic advising.

FAIRFIELD, Ill. — Forty-three Frontier Community College student-athletes have been named to the 2025–26 NJCAA All-Academic Teams in recognition of their exceptional performance in the classroom.  Student-athletes named to the NJCAA All-Academic First Team achieved a perfect 4.00 grade-point average. Second Team honorees earned GPAs between 3.80 and 3.99, while Third Team honorees posted GPAs between 3.60 and 3.79.  Frontier had 19 student-athletes named to the First Team, 16 selected for the Second Team and eight recognized on the Third Team. 

OLNEY, Ill. — For 16 seasons, the Olney Central College Community Choir has brought together singers from across Southeastern Illinois to share their voices, build friendships and experience the joy of making music together. OCC Director of Choral Activities Dr. Andrew Pittman invites new and returning singers to become part of the tradition when rehearsals begin at 6 p.m. on September 8.

Lincoln Trail College has named Stewart Cramer its new director of performing arts, bringing an experienced educator, director and performer to a program with longstanding ties to the college and surrounding community. Cramer comes to LTC with experience leading vocal music, musical theater and performing arts programs at community colleges. His background includes directing stage productions and ensembles, recruiting and mentoring students, developing community partnerships and managing performance programming.

Olney Central College student Brandy Cochran earned national recognition at the Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate National Leadership Conference in Las Vegas. The Olney resident placed ninth in the nation in the Customer Service event, competing against top students from colleges and universities across the United States.