May 6, 2025

It is with deep sadness that we share that IMSA’s former President, Dr. José M. Torres, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2025, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after a brief illness. Dr. Torres led IMSA from 2014 to 2021, leaving a lasting mark on the Academy through his unwavering commitment to educational equity, innovation, and excellence.

We invite you to learn more about Dr. Torres' impact at IMSA and ways to honor him here.

A table has been set up in the CAC Commons for any community members who wish to write sympathy notes to Dr. Torres' family.

This Teacher Appreciation Week, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our amazing faculty and staff for their dedication, passion, and commitment to excellence. Your work is at the heart of IMSA’s mission to ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition. We’re grateful for all you do to inspire the next generation of innovators and leaders!

Thank you to PAC for taking the time this week to make our faculty and staff feel extra appreciated!

Mental Health Days During APs

During AP Testing, all Mental Health Days (MHDs) will need to be pre-approved by parents/guardians. If a student taking an AP exam elects to take an MHD on a test day, they will not be able to sit for that exam that day.

It is that time of year when students must take some time to clean up their computers before graduating or leaving for the summer. Students are expected to remove or uninstall IMSA software from their personal computers. This includes but is not limited to the Symantec or CrowdStrike Antivirus software, and Adobe software you installed using IMSA’s license.

• Class of 2025 - Uninstall all software using an IMSA-provided software license. CrowdStrike Antivirus must be uninstalled, and Adobe products will stop working after graduation. As of May 1, no special uninstall code will be required to uninstall CrowdStrike. Students may keep any “freeware” or public domain applications. Wolfram Mathematica may be converted to a free student license.
• Class of 2026 and 2027 - Students may uninstall CrowdStrike for the summer, but may be required to install an IMSA-provided antivirus application again in the fall. As of May 1, no special uninstall code will be required to uninstall CrowdStrike.

Returning Loaned IT Equipment

Students with loaned IT equipment will be expected to return that equipment before leaving campus at the end of the school year. All equipment must be returned in person to the IT HelpDesk Office. Emails will be sent to students and their parents/guardians over the next few weeks listing the equipment expected to be returned. Sophomores and juniors with scholarship loaner laptops can keep them over the summer.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the IT HelpDesk Team or stop by the HelpDesk (B-205, above TV pit) Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Community Cookout

Friday, May 23, 2025

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Outside (Weather permitting)

Senior Recognition Assembly

Friday, May 23, 2025

1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Main Gym

Upcoming Senior Events

Please note the updated Senior Events timeline.

Preferred parking is available for graduation through NIU. Click here to explore preferred parking options.

While taking a summer math course is certainly not an expectation, we know that some students may want to take courses that accelerate advancement through the IMSA mathematics core (Geometry, Mathematical Investigations, and Calculus) over the summer.

As a reminder, any math course taken over the summer for the intention of advancing through the IMSA mathematics core must be pre-approved by the IMSA mathematics department. Please review this letter, which contains a link to the Summer Mathematics Course Request Form, and the list of Topics in Core Courses for mathematics, which may help guide your selection of non-IMSA summer courses.

If you intend to take a summer math course, the Summer Mathematics Request Form is due no later than Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.



IMSA Dancers Named IHSA All-State

Congratulations to Alyssa Senese '25 and Michayla Rhymes '26 on being named IHSA All-State Dancers! This prestigious honor recognizes their exceptional talent, dedication, and leadership in competitive dance. We’re proud to see their hard work celebrated at the state level. Way to go, Alyssa and Michayla!

IMSA Math Team Competes at ICTM State

28 IMSA students competed in the ICTM State Math Contest after months of daily prep on Saturday, April 26. They took on five events, individual, calculator, 2-person, 8-person, and oral competition, with impressive results:

• Algebra 1 team - 8th
• Geometry team - 4th
• Algebra 2 team - 7th
• Frosh/Soph & Jr/Sr 2-person teams - 5th
• Frosh/Soph 8-person team - 5th

Congratulations to Molly Federici ’26, who was recently elected Second Vice President of the Illinois Association of Student Councils (IASC)!

Molly’s leadership, passion for student voice, and dedication to service helped earn her this statewide role, where she will represent student councils from across Illinois and help plan leadership events throughout the year.

We’re proud to see Molly making a difference at IMSA and beyond!

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Adrienne Coleman, who has been named a Top 10 DEI Professional at the 2025 OnCon Icon Awards! Selected by her peers from across the nation, Dr. Coleman was recognized for her outstanding leadership, innovation, and lasting impact in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

This prestigious award honors professionals who demonstrate success, drive meaningful change in their organizations, and contribute to thought leadership in their industries. Dr. Coleman's continued commitment to equity and inclusion at IMSA and beyond is truly inspiring.

Thank you for being an IMSA Impact Maker, Dr. Coleman!

The IMSA Black Alumni Association (BAA) invites the entire IMSA community to honor the graduating seniors at our Black Congratulatory Celebration. This event recognizes and uplifts our Black students’ achievements and provides encouragement as they close one chapter and open a new one. 

We’ll feature student, alumni, and faculty speakers, and a stole ceremony. All are welcome to attend. Please RSVP by May 15.

It’s almost here! The annual end-of-the-year “Friday Fest” during CABabunga will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. PAC will be serving food from 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. We are feeding all of the IMSA students for this event, so we need lots of food donations and volunteers.

Last Thursday, a team of IMSA students and colleagues joined me in Springfield to testify about our impact and needs to the House Higher Education Appropriations Committee. Jaden Blankenship '25, Molly Federici '26, and Claire Wen '26 shared their IMSA stories, backed by meaningful research experiences at UIC, WIU and SIUC. They did a great job illustrating how IMSA has provided new opportunities to challenge them to new levels.

In my testimony, I spoke about how the work of our students and alumni is closely connected to Illinois' innovation priorities, and how we are expanding services online as well as to hubs in Southern Illinois and Metro East. I also provided an overview of IMSA's budgetary needs, which aim for IMSA to be more accessible and allow us to continue to grow IMSA's impact across the state while also addressing our capital infrastructure needs to replace the residence halls.

Thank you to our College and Academic Counselors for hosting a successful College Day! Juniors and their parents/guardians were able to meet with college reps from all over the country to help guide their college search.

Congratulations to the sophomore LEAD students for successfully completing the LEAD Program and presenting their year-long projects at SLX last week. The campus was buzzing with the inspiration of future leaders and changemakers! Thank you to our keynote speaker, Julia Stamberger '92, for providing inspiration and advice to our students, and to members of the Hollister Family for their support of this exciting event. You can watch Julia's keynote address here.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and evaluators who helped make the event a success!

Last week, the Health Office shared important information about measles, a highly contagious virus that has been reported in 26 states since January of 2025. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced confirmed cases of measles in Illinois.

While no cases have been reported at IMSA, we want to ensure everyone is informed about prevention, vaccination, and exclusion guidelines as a proactive measure to protect the health and safety of our school community.

2025-2026 Academic Calendar

If you ever need to refer back to a previous Titan Tuesday, visit the Titan Tuesday Archive.

May 5 - 16 - AP Exams

May 16 - Prom

May 23 - Senior Recognition and Community Cookout

May 26 - Memorial Day (Academy is closed, but halls remain open)

May 30 - Graduation Rehearsal and Senior Banquet

May 31 - Graduation

Notice of Nondiscrimination: IMSA prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator.