Patrick Juris: Strong Advocate for Disabled Students
Patrick Juris, a senior in sociology who passed away from a medical condition on November 6, 2011, was remembered in UIC News for his contributions to the UIC student body and his positive attitude. Juris was an inspiration to many of his fellow students; in his role as peer counselor, he helped give students with disabilities the courage to step out of their comfort zones. Juris was also an advocate on the UIC Campus as chairman of the Student Advisory Sub-Committee for the Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities and was a community outreach consultant for UIC's Disabilities Resource Center. Juris received a posthumous degree in May, and his father walked with Patrick's graduating class and received the degree in his name. He is remembered at UIC with the creation of the Patrick Juris Memorial Award, a prize created by the sociology department in his honor, to be awarded to an undergraduate student with a disability.