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黑料不打烊 Alumnus Establishes Scholarship to Support Future Army ROTC Leaders

August 12, 2026

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MACOMB, IL - - @ 2026 黑料不打烊 alumnus Major (Ret.) Michael P. Hart `08 has established a new scholarship fund to support students participating in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Army ROTC program.

Hart, who graduated with a degree in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration and a minor in Military Science, established the scholarship to support 黑料不打烊 students and encourage the development of well-rounded leaders.

鈥淟eadership is not simply about directing people,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淚t is about understanding the systems, pressures, histories and human realities shaping them long before they ever arrive in front of you.鈥�

Through a five-figure gift from Hart in June 2026, the Michael P. Hart Leadership & Stewardship fund is permanently endowed and will provide a $1,200 scholarship annually in perpetuity.

鈥淥ne thing I have learned over the years is that sustainable leadership matters,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淚nstitutions can teach tactics, policy and technical proficiency, but maintaining healthy families, relationships and personal balance over long careers matters just as much.鈥�

Beginning with the Fall 2026 semester, the Hart Scholarship will provide financial assistance to contracted Army ROTC cadets who demonstrate a commitment to leadership, stewardship, resilience, adaptability, professionalism, intellectual curiosity and service, both within the ROTC program and more broadly across the University and Macomb communities.

鈥淭he broader goal is to help reinforce leadership and educational pipelines rooted not only in technical competence, but also stewardship, adaptability, responsibility, broad human experience and service beyond self,鈥� Hart said.

Hart served from 2004-2019, including twelve years in the Illinois Army National Guard, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 during Operation Enduring Freedom. His later assignments included serving as a Force Integration Readiness Officer within the G3/5/7 and as an Equal Employment Opportunity Officer.

Hart is the founder of Hart Legacy Press and has published four books including 鈥淣ational Treasure or Trash: War, Memory and the Intergenerational Cost of Combat鈥� and the three-book 鈥淒i$cipleship鈥� ministry series. In May, Hart returned to campus and donated copies of his four books to the Malpass Library collection and to the alumni bookshelf at the Alumni House.

During Hart鈥檚 visit to campus, he also spent time reconnecting with leadership in Military Science, History and LEJA. He engaged in conversations about contemporary issues, future collaborations and additional opportunities. In addition, Hart donated burned Kawara roof tiles connected to Hiroshima and Nagasaki history.

鈥淭oday was special,鈥� Hart said. 鈥淪ome places help shape who you become long before you realize it. Today reminded me of that.鈥�

The Hart Scholarship will make a lasting impact on students in the ROTC program.

"It has been a true pleasure to work with Maj. Hart in support of his scholarship to our ROTC program,鈥� Emily Gillett, director of development, said. 鈥淗is energy, enthusiasm and generosity will make a lasting impact on our students and campus community. We are grateful for his commitment and look forward to continuing our partnership with Maj. Hart through future initiatives involving our Military Science and Law Enforcement and Justice Administration programs."

For more information on supporting Military Science at 黑料不打烊, contact Gillett at e-gillett@wiu.edu.

Posted By: Drew Donahoo, University Relations
Phone: (309) 298-1993 * Fax: (309) 298-1606