A Redbird’s road through adversity leads to fulfillment and success

Man standing on bridge with river in background

Corey J. Parker ’02 is one of two administrative directors for Barrow Neurological Institute Academics. Overseeing 100 people and multiple departments while managing relationships with top medical centers in the country can have its twist and turns, but Parker’s road prepared him for that.

Alum’s action plan

Man wearing a suit looking away from the camera

Andrew Purnell is known as the man who can solve all kinds of problems—from his major in mathematics to addressing local discrimination as an undergraduate, followed by establishing as an alumnus a group that has empowered Illinois State black students for 35 years.