Category: Alumni News
More than ‘Shaft’: Iconic actor returns to SIU to reflect on 50-year career
From SIU Press Office: Iconic actor Richard Roundtree will reflect on a career that has spanned five decades this week while at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “A Conversation with Richard Roundtree” will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Communications Building’s Christian H. Moe Theater. The program is presented by the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, Novotny Lawrence,…
Read MoreSIU alumna earns promotion at iHeartRadio’s Chicago region
From RFFocus, a music and radio industry site: iHeartMedia announced today that Echo Robinson has been named Director of Marketing and Promotions for the Chicago Region, effective immediately. The iHeartMedia Chicago Region has a strong cross-platform presence and includes a number of iconic brands and franchises — both broadcast and digital — encompassing six stations comprised of CHR, AC, Hip…
Read MoreSIU’s first black graduates reflect on their experiences
From the Southern Illinoisan, this article features SIU alumni Norma Ewing, Harvey Welch and Harold Bardo: Historic moments don’t always feel historic in the moment — three of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s first black graduates are quick to point that out. “I thought of it in terms of a way to get an education and to elevate my life and…
Read MoreSIU alumna devotes life to art
From The Oklahoman: Between her work, and caring for those in need in her own home, DWe Williams doesn’t have much time to sit back and take stock of how far she’s come in this world, and that’s just fine. She’s always been one to keep moving in whatever direction inspiration takes her. Growing up in Durham, North Carolina, Williams…
Read MoreShawnee Community College president brings keynote speech at MLK breakfast
Peggy F. Bradford served as the keynote speaker at the NAACP’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast. In June, Bradford was hired as Shawnee Community College’s eighth president — and its first female and its first African-American president. Bradford received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from SIU. Read more about her remarkable history here. On Monday, Bradford urged attendees…
Read MoreBryson named interim associate chancellor for diversity
From an SIU news release: Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Carlo Montemagno announced today (Jan. 11) the appointment of Todd S. Bryson as the interim associate chancellor for diversity. The appointment was effective this week. Bryson, of Carbondale, is an alumnus of SIU and has served in a number of roles at the university, including positions largely focusing on diversity…
Read MoreSIU alumna to play professional basketball in Serbia
From The Southern Illinoisan: Recent SIU graduate Rishonda Napier became the eighth Saluki women’s basketball player to sign a professional contract Tuesday, inking a deal with ZKK Kraljevo of Kraljevo, Serbia. The ZKK Kraljevo play in both the First Women’s Basketball League of Serbia (ZLS) and the WABA League. The First Women’s Basketball League of Serbia is a 12-team league…
Read MoreBusiness college honors ‘Emerging Saluki Leader’ awards
From the SIU press office: Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s College of Business has chosen as its 2017 Emerging Saluki Leader Award winners. The award honors alumni who have graduated from the college within the past 15 years for their outstanding work within business, academia or government sectors, nonprofit organizations, and their community service. This year, the college is honoring three…
Read MoreNew book: Dick Gregory still commenting on hard truths
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: When comedian and social activist Dick Gregory died in August at age 84, he left behind a widow, 10 offspring — and the manuscript of “Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies.” Gregory’s life, if not his story, began in St. Louis, where he grew up the son of a housemaid. He graduated…
Read MoreSaluki, longtime radio announcer Bill Wilkerson dies
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Bill Wilkerson, whose animated baritone voice highlighted St. Louis radio for more than 35 years, died on Nov. 2, 2017, after collapsing at his home in Florissant. He was 72. Mr. Wilkerson first gained popularity when he joined KMOX-AM 1120 in 1969. He would go on to become a morning-drive host. But he became a…
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