Homecoming is always a special time of year where we welcome accomplished alumni back to campus to help us celebrate and to showcase their amazing work with our students. This year, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology addtionally celebrated Dr. Wib Leonard for his 55 years of teaching Redbirds.
Our distinguished guest was Bunmi Akinnusotu, M.A. ’06. Akinnusotu currently oversees Bloomberg CityLab at the Aspen Institute, an annual convening of mayors and city leaders innovatively solving urban issues. Her expertise lies in the intersection of international relations and organization management. Before Aspen Institute, she was the deputy director of the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs program at Howard University. Her career in Washington began during the Obama administration as special assistant in the Office of Land and Emergency Management at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Afterward, she was the chief of staff at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. In 2017, Akinnusotu launched a foreign policy podcast, What in the World?, which made foreign policy relevant to everyday people and amplified experts of color. Akinnusotu was an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and fundraiser for the YWCA Chicago and United Way Chicago. As part of her visit, Akinnusotu met with students and shared an engaging and personal discussion about her professional journey after Illinois State.
We followed Alumni Day activities with an exciting Homecoming Day Parade, where we had a float that celebrated Dr. Wib Leonard for his 55 years of teaching Redbirds. So many current and former students, faculty, and staff, came out to help us walk the parade route to cheer him on. It was a morning filled with overwhelming joy, laughter, and the recounting of so many amazing memories and experiences. We are so grateful for Leonard’s longstanding commitment to Illinois State and our students. This was the perfect way to cap off our week of Homecoming celebrations.
