Annual Alumni Association award recipients honored at Founders Day
Lori Metcalf '76
Distinguished Alumni Award
Laurie Metcalf ’76
Actress, International Creative Management
Valley Village, California
Laurie Metcalf ’76 grew up in Edwardsville. Her mother was a librarian and her father Southern Illinois University’s comptroller. An ISU theatre major, she honed her talent on the University’s stages before becoming recognized as one of Hollywood’s most enduring actors.
At ISU Metcalf met fellow students John Malkovich ’76, Jeff Perry ’78, and Terry Kinney ’76. Together with Gary Sinise they founded Steppenwolf Theater in 1976, initially staging productions in a Highland Park church basement. Today Steppenwolf is one of Chicago’s most recognized theaters, consistently garnering national acclaim.
Metcalf has starred in more than 30 productions at Steppenwolf, including Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, My Thing of Love, The Glass Menagerie, Little Egypt, and Purple Heart. Her role in Balm in Gilead—in which she delivered a 30-minute monologue—earned her the 1984 Obie award for best actress and the 1985 Theatre World award.
She is most famous for playing Jackie Harris on the ABC sitcom Roseanne. She captured an Emmy for best supporting actress in 1992, 1993, and 1994 for that role. Metcalf’s television success continued during the three years she appeared on the ABC sitcom Norm.
Fans have also seen her on Saturday Night Live, Grey’s Anatomy, Frasier, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. Metcalf’s film roles include Blink, Chicago Cab, Desperately Seeking Susan, JFK, Runaway Bride, Secret Life of Houses, Scream II, The Long Island Incident, Toy Story, and Uncle Buck. She has appeared on Broadway in Brighton Beach Memoir, My Thing of Love, and November, for which she received a Tony nomination.
A recipient of Illinois State’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1993, Metcalf resides in California with her husband, Matt Roth, and their three children.
Dori Byard '96
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Dori Byard ’96
Global Sourcing Manager, The William Wrigley Jr. Company
Evanston
Raised on an Illinois farm, Dori Byard ’96 majored in agricultural business and economics. She was an active member of Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society, Alpha Zeta agriculture honors society, and Alpha Lambda Delta.
Byard became a vital contributor at several companies, including Grain Merchandiser, Bulk Oil Division, Archer Daniels Midland, and Kraft Foods. She gained experience with trading, sales, and management oversight.
Her efficiency in strategic sourcing of company products led to promotions, as Byard saved companies millions of dollars and consistently met sales goals. Her experiences prepared her for her current role as the global sourcing manager for the William Wrigley Jr. Company in Chicago.
She manages the supply chain for Wrigley’s products, driving cost savings while maintaining consistent brand quality. She also seeks out the flavors, colors, coolants, and menthol for the popular chewing gum and candies manufactured in 14 countries.
Byard has an aggressive role in corporate America, yet remains connected to Illinois State. She speaks to students about the necessity of a full education, and has recruited alums. Making her family proud ranks as her greatest achievement. She is a diligent and committed woman loyal to her family, her profession, and herself.
Rose Stadel ’01
Alumni Achievement Award
Rose Stadel ’01
Vice President of Operations, Heritage Enterprises
Normal
Rose Stadel ’01 is a Licensed Practical Nurse and Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. She majored in health education with an emphasis in community health, and devoted 40-plus years to health care.
Stadel partnered with Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN) to develop the Joe Warner Teaching Nursing Home Project, which is a touch therapy project for Alzheimer’s residents at Heritage Manor-Normal. Named in honor of her late husband, the project is a MCN and Heritage Enterprises collaboration. She also developed the Children of Aging Parents support group.
Now vice president of operations with Heritage Enterprises, Stadel oversees resident care at Heritage Manor nursing homes of Bloomington, Normal, El Paso, and Gibson City; Adelaide Retirement Apartments and Evergreen senior living communities.
A Certified Health Education Specialist, Stadel has taught First Aid, CPR, and nonviolent crisis intervention classes. She serves on the advisory boards of MCN, Heartland Community College, and the Maitland/Warner Long Term Care Scholarship Board.
Stadel received the Illinois Society for Public Health Educators Donald B. Stone Outstanding Service Award, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, and was named Cornbelt Health Educators’ Association’s Health Educator of the Year. ISU’s Health Sciences Department presented her the Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship and Distinguished Alumni Award.
Alan Chapman M.S. ’75, Ed.D. ’84
E. Burton Mercier Alumni Service Award
Alan Chapman M.S. ’75, Ed.D. ’84
Retired McLean County Unit District No. 5 teacher/administrator and superintendent
Normal
Normal Community High School (NCHS) alum Alan Chapman graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and served honorably in the U.S. Army before earning educational administration graduate degrees at ISU.
An educator, he served 31 years in Unit 5 as a teacher, coach, dean of students, assistant principal, and ultimately NCHS principal. After a year as interim, he was appointed Unit 5 superintendent in 2004.
He is past president of the Illinois State Deans Association, and served on the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors. He remains a member of the Illinois State Deans Association, Illinois Principals Association, National Association of Secondary School Principals, and Illinois and American Associations of School Administrators.
Chapman and his wife, Kathie (Campbell) ’69, M.S. ’97, give generously to ISU. He served on the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations (EAF) Alumni Advisory Council and the college’s Capital Campaign Fundraising Advisory Committee. Chapman was awarded the ISU Foundation Fellowship by EAF, and inducted into the College of Education Hall of Fame.
He is a member of ISU Community Partners and The Weisbecker Scholarship Fund; serves on the board of directors of United Way of McLean County, Beyond the Books Educational Foundation, Normal Rotary Club of Rotary International; and is past president and current trustee of Bloomington’s First Christian Church.
Walter H. Warfield, Ph.D. ’78
John Maitland Commitment to Education Award
Walter H. Warfield, Ph.D. ’78
Scholar in Residence, University of Illinois at Springfield
Clearwater, Florida
Walter Warfield, Ph.D ’78, completed two degrees at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville before earning an educational administration doctorate at Illinois State. He dedicated 42 years to education, working with students across Central Illinois as a teacher, coach, and principal at the middle school and high school level.
He was a research assistant for ISU’s Center for the Study of Educational Finance before becoming superintendent of schools in Decatur, Mattoon, and Fairfield. Warfield was the Illinois Association of School Administrators’ executive director before taking his current position as scholar in residence at the University of Illinois-Springfield.
The author of numerous articles, Warfield served on various Illinois State Board of Education committees. At ISU he was president of the Administrator’s Club, on the Educational Foundation and Administration Graduate Advisory Committee, on the Alumni Board, and a charter member of the College of Education Hall of Fame.
Warfield served as national president of the Horace Mann League and remains on the board, and as national president of the Association of State Executives. He is executive director emeritus of the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
He and his wife, Catherine, give generously to Illinois State and remain strong advocates. Two of their three children are ISU graduates.
The recipients will be honored with their awards at an Alumni Awards Dinner, on Thursday, February 17 at 6 p.m. To register for this dinner, please visit www.Alumni.ilstu.edu/awardsdinner .
