The winter issue of the Illinois State magazine mailed last week. Check out the following stories online:
Social networking 101
How student life has gone digital
Change is a constant at Illinois State. Academic programs have multiplied over time, faculty research initiatives now reach around the globe, and extracurricular activities have expanded beyond anything students of yesteryear could have ever imagined. And that doesn’t even touch on the renovated buildings or newly constructed facilities alums from every era are sure to see on any visit back to campus.
One of the most significant changes, however, is a bit more subtle. It’s found within the students themselves, who now rely on social networking as a means of staying connected.
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Exporting expertise
Chemist plays key role in international food chain
On a typical business trip, Tom Deeb ’83 will wake up with the sun because he’s probably been sleeping outside. The “hotels” in the developing countries he visits frequently don’t have windows or doors, and can be so stifling that he sometimes takes his mattress into the yard. He carries his own water and energy bars. “It’s like the Peace Corps,” he admits.
But this isn’t volunteer work. It’s a successful business for Deeb and his wife, Maria Beug-Deeb, who spend a combined nine months or so overseas each year. Maria is the president and CEO of T&M Associates in Atlanta, Georgia, which consults with U.S. and global food companies on how to improve their supplier’s compliance with international food safety standards. Tom handles sales and marketing.
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Meet the president’s postman
Alumnus decides what messages make it to Obama’s desk
Imagine one million letters, faxes, and e-mails flooding your office every month. Now imagine that absolutely none of it is for you.
While such an outrageous amount of mail is hard to fathom, it is a reality for Michael Kelleher ’89. As the director of the White House Office of Correspondence, he has the daunting task of selecting only 10 letters a day for President Barack Obama to read.
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Meg Tortorello
special assistant to the president and director of Presidential Correspondence
In 1991 I proudly walked across the stage in the Bone Student Center to accept my diploma as a special education teacher. While I didn’t quite realize the amazing opportunities that were ahead, I knew Illinois State University had armed me with the knowledge, skills, and values to contribute to our society and perform at the highest levels.
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Redbirds going green
Sustainability effort becomes campus priority
Enid Cardinal is only one person. She can’t do it all, and she’s not perfect. But you’ll never find bottled water on her desk. And if she sees someone throw a can away, she’ll pluck it out of the trash and drop it into a recycling bin.
Cardinal is the University’s first sustainability coordinator. Two years ago she moved from upstate New York, where she worked as an environmental consultant advising businesses and not-for-profit organizations. The chance to change a Midwestern university was too tempting. She joined Illinois State with the belief it can become the greenest campus in the state.
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An Illinois State Legacy
Ina Elizabeth Sundberg
My grandmother, Ina Elizabeth Sundberg, was born in March of 1905 to Swedish immigrant parents on a farm near Milford. She is the beginning of this four-generation ISU family legacy, which includes Ina; her daughters Luceille (Gleim) Werner and Mary (Gleim) Small; her granddaughter, Deborah (Small) Baker; her grandson-in-law Fred N. Baker; and her great-granddaughter, Sarah (Baker) Lukach.
Ina began school at the age of five. Her parents decided that to make it easier for Ina in school, only English would be spoken at home most of the time. There were no bilingual teachers.
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Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Gowdy Media Award Winners
Doug Collins and Peter Vecsey named recipients of prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Awards for 2009
Basketball Hall of Fame to Honor Legendary NBA and Olympic TV Commentator and longtime Pro Basketball Reporter and Columnist at 2009 Enshrinement Ceremonies, September 10-11.
SPRINGFIELD, MA – (July 13, 2009) – Doug Collins, the highly respected player and coach who is now the lead commentator for Turner Sports (TNT) and for NBC Sports’ coverage of basketball at the Olympic Games and Peter Vecsey, the longtime pro basketball writer for the New York Post have been selected to receive the 2009 Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during Enshrinement festivities scheduled for September 10-11, 2009 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
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Where Are They Now
Harry Thiel recalls 20 years leading the Vidette
From the first day on the ISU campus, I was amazed at the support I received to guide and advise the student newspaper. It started with a visit to the president, Gene Budig, and the two members of the newly established publications board: Francis Belshe, vice president of business; and Wenmouth Williams, communications professor. This support continued through the presidencies of Lloyd Watkins, Thomas Wallace, and David Strand. And for years, it was spearheaded by communications professor Michael Shelly, a Vidette editor of the early 1960s.
