During the annual business meeting of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) on November 13,
Dr. Rolf Wegenke was presented with the Phillip Sirotkin Award for exemplary leadership in advancing Midwestern higher education through interstate cooperation.
“Dr. Wegenke’s passion for higher education is evidenced by his extensive experience,” said MHEC President Larry Isaak. “His leadership as president of WAICU and his tireless efforts to create innovative and cost saving collaborative services, foster dialogue about policy and practice between policymakers and postsecondary education leaders in the Midwest, and his focus on opportunities to promote student success were all reasons the commission nominated him.”
In the early 1990s, Sirotkin was the visionary behind the regional higher education cooperation in the Midwest. MHEC established the Phillip Sirotkin Award in his honor in 1999 and periodically confers the award upon individuals who have been voted upon by the entire commission.