Waubonsee Community College is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Contributor Award. The award recognizes leaders and groups that have made an extraordinary commitment to promoting the college and its mission. This year's Distinguished Contributor is Diane D. Homan, M.D.
Dr. Homan joined the Waubonsee Foundation Board of Directors in 2005 after serving as a community judge for the Waubonsee Community College John J. Swalec Jr. President's Achievement Award. The task of the five-member community judging panel was to interview and select recipients for several cash awards in a day-long process. Dr. Homan has served as Scholarship Committee Chair since 2010 and, in 2017, became a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee. Dr. Homan never knew that saying yes to a simple invitation to serve as a judge would eventually lead to her becoming an active member of the Waubonsee Community College Foundation Board of Directors for 17 years.
As Scholarship Committee Chair, Dr. Homan was instrumental in transforming the scholarship application process from a paper process to a fully digital process. Implementation of a fully electronic scholarship application at Waubonsee created a user-friendly experience for Waubonsee students which was particularly important when all services at the college suddenly needed to transition online due to a global pandemic. Students can apply for more than 300+ Waubonsee Foundation scholarship opportunities anywhere, anytime online through the streamlined process. Last year, under Dr. Homan’s leadership, the Scholarship Committee also approved the implementation of a second scholarship deadline during the academic year to increase access and remove barriers for students seeking scholarships. The second deadline provides additional time for high-school seniors, first-generation students, or those less familiar with standard academic scholarship processes to complete their application and still have access to vital financial support through scholarships.
While the number of annual Foundation scholarship applications submitted by students fluctuates each year, one thing remains constant, Dr. Homan's dedication. She has reviewed thousands of student scholarship applications, each time looking for the opportunity to plant seeds financially for a deserving young person or adult who otherwise may not be able to attend college without the support of the Foundation Scholarship Program. In addition, Dr. Homan has dedicated extensive hours to reviewing applications year-round for Waubonsee's Emergency Needs Scholarship. The needs-based scholarship is designed to assist currently enrolled students who experience an unusual, unexpected, or exceptional emergency that jeopardizes their financial ability to continue their academic studies. The funds provide significant relief to students experiencing financial hardship due to unprecedented life events.
Each year the Waubonsee Community College Foundation raises funds to provide scholarships for deserving area students to access quality education. During the 2020-2021 academic year, the Waubonsee Community College Foundation granted 367 scholarship awards totaling over $331,000 to 325 recipients. Learn more by visiting waubonsee.edu/foundation.Dr. Homan believes her work as the Waubonsee Foundation Scholarship Committee Chair is one of her many callings to give back to the community. "I am sympathetic to investing emotionally and financially in people so they can go on to improve their communities and meet the needs around them," said Dr. Homan.
Dr. Homan's 38-year career as a board-certified physician exemplifies her passion for service through outstanding patient care, education, research, and community partnerships. Serving as the medical director at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), Dr. Homan oversees the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) Association, which operates BCBS Plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. She is responsible for expanding access to high-quality, cost-effective health care and equipping members with information and tools to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.
Previously, Dr. Homan served as the Vice President of Clinical Innovation, Chief Medical Informatics Officer, and Program Director at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora. She also successfully authored and implemented the first and only residency program in Kane County, Illinois, the Rush Copley Family Medicine Residency program. The residency, still in existence today, has significantly upgraded the hospital's quality and caliber of care. The Family Medicine Residency program is fully accredited by The American College of Graduate Medical Education and has graduated more than 100 board-certified family who practice in the greater Fox Valley area and across the country. Dr. Homan earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Nursing from Purdue University. She earned her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and later completed a fellowship and residency at Rush-Christ Family, specializing in obstetrics, family practice, and faculty development. The college will recognize Dr. Homan at the upcoming commencement ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 14 at 10 a.m. on the Sugar Grove Campus in the Field House.
