University News

125 Anniversary Celebration: Joe Roselieb

February 5, 2025

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Editor's Note: This is a series of stories about Western Illinois University students, alumni and community members, highlighting their experiences during our 125th anniversary celebration. We will feature 125 individuals from August 2024 to August 2025.

MACOMB, IL – For Joseph Roselieb, WIU is more than just a university—it's a lifelong community that has shaped his personal and professional journey. As both an alumnus and a dedicated staff member, Roselieb has experienced WIU from multiple perspectives, building meaningful connections along the way.

"When I think about WIU, I think about the rich history that our university has, the variety of different connections and notable alumni we have and the fun I had as a student and continue to have working at WIU!" Roselieb said.

For Roselieb, being a Leatherneck means striving for personal growth and resilience.

"Leatherneck means being the best person you can be. It means learning new things, developing as a person and having the tenacity to overcome challenges," Roselieb said.

Reflecting on his time as a student, Roselieb fondly recalls the friendships and experiences that defined his early days at WIU.

"Too many to count, but if I were to pick one, I would say my freshman year floor as a whole and all that we did my first year at WIU. Coming to college for the first time and being a first-generation student is scary and intimidating. Almost immediately, my resident assistant (Pete Johnson) engaged us as a floor and took 30+ young 18-20-year-olds and created a community. We participated in intramurals together, joined clubs, organizations, and fraternities together, built a haunted house at Halloween together and so much more. We truly became friends for life and to this day, many of us remain in contact with one another," Roselieb said.

Roselieb's connection to WIU continued beyond his student years. One of his proudest contributions is his role in bringing back the university's live mascot program.

"I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite memory in my role today—the ownership and care of Colonel Rock IV, the WIU mascot. I had the opportunity to join a group of people in 2010 when we resurrected the Live Mascot Program. Over the last 15 years, I have had the honor of being the caretaker for the live mascot and growing the notoriety behind the mascot and Western," Roselieb said.

His career path led him to remain at WIU, where he continues to make an impact.

"Some would say I am lucky because I never left WIU. When I was close to finishing my master's program, I applied for a position on campus and was hired full-time in University Housing and Dining Services. Over the last 17 years, I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of different roles on campus and I think a big part of that is because of the skills that I developed as a student. WIU encourages and allows students to get involved and be part of many different things, each preparing them for different facets of life. As I have advanced in my career, I have been able to use a lot of skills to challenge myself with different responsibilities," Roselieb said.

During his time as a student, Roselieb was highly involved in campus life, participating in Western Technical Services (WESTEC), the University Theatre Department, Rho Phi Lambda Honorary Fraternity and serving as a student worker in University Housing and Dining Services and an advisor to Inter-Hall Council.

His advice for prospective students is simple:

"Come to campus! Meet the wonderful people that are part of our university. We have excellent academic programs and people who care about you. You won't be a number but a person! To this day, I still communicate and talk to many of the faculty and staff I learned under during my time at WIU," Roselieb said.

As we honor 125 years of educational excellence, we invite local WIU students, alumni, faculty and staff to share their stories and be featured in our series. Contact University Communications at U-Communications@wiu.edu to participate.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing