Each year Illinois State University’s Alumni Association recognizes alumni for their outstanding contributions to their fields, their impact on society, and their passion for Illinois State through the Alumni Awards program. This year seven alums were presented awards at the Founders Day Convocation and honored at the annual awards dinner.

Illinois State University sat down with the seven recipients to learn more about their passion for Illinois State, their favorite memories of the campus, and how they encourage other alumni to stay involved with their alma mater.

Alumni Awards recipients

  • Distinguished Alumni Award: David Allen Magers ’77, MBA ’86, accounting and business administration (College of Business) and Karen Suzanne Magers ’79, nursing (Mennonite College of Nursing)
  • Alumni Achievement Award: Ray Brownfield ’65, agriculture (College of Applied Science and Technology)
  • E. Burton Mercier Alumni Award: Lynda Lane ’66, French (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Senator John Maitland Jr. Commitment to Education Award: Al Bowman and Linda Bowman ’81, M.S. ’83, speech pathology and audiology (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Outstanding Young Alumni Award: Rebecca (Wenning) Vieyra ’07, physics (College of Arts and Sciences)

Learn more about each recipient when the May 2017 Illinois State magazine hits mailboxes. For those that know of an outstanding alum, the Alumni Association is now taking nominations for the 2018 Alumni Awards. Nominations are due May 31, 2017.