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Helpful hints for a stress-free commencement You’re graduating! Here at the Alumni Relations office, we know how rewarding college graduation is; yet, we [...]
Join an alumni network! Just because you’re graduating, doesn’t mean you have to leave Illinois State Univeristy and all of your [...]
The ISU Alumni Association is here to help you transition So…what’s next? Going out into the real world for the first time can be scary, but never fear!—the ISU [...]
More questions about commencement? For more information on professional commencement photography, ceremony scheduling and disability accommodations, [...]
Career Center Need help finding a job? Would you like a career expert to critique your resume? Interested in attending career [...]
Normal Fire Department receives Redbird Pride Award The Normal Fire Department received a Redbird Pride Award in recognition of their long-standing partnership with [...]
After a five-year apprenticeship at Genszler Stoneware Designs in Wisconsin, Elisabeth Maurland, M.A. ’89, opened her own pottery studio in Decorah, Iowa. Her ceramic art regularly wins awards at juried art fairs across the country. It is also now a keepsake for European royalty. A native of Oslo, Maurland was asked to create a piece… [Read the Rest]
It’s been more than two decades since the series Dallas ended with the question of who shot J.R. Fans who remember the drama of the Ewing dynasty will be thrilled with the continuation airing this summer with Carlos Bernard ’91 as part of the cast. A marketing graduate, Bernard is an actor who has appeared… [Read the Rest]
Long after establishing Illinois State’s glass program, Distinguished Professor of Art Emeritus Joel Myers continues to impact the art world. He has been named the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient by the Glass Art Society. The honor acknowledges individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the glass arts worldwide. Myers was the… [Read the Rest]
High school students entering the chemistry class of Jeff Christopherson ’90, M.S. ’93, see a doorframe decorated with caution tape, which sets the tone for the semester. Christopherson brings humor, storytelling, and enthusiasm to his teaching at Normal Community High School. The combination makes him a stellar teacher, as noted last year. He was awarded… [Read the Rest]
Jim Durham. Former student Jim Durham was a 2011 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. He received the Curt Gowdy Media Award for his work as the voice behind the microphone. Durham went from calling ISU games for WJBC Radio to becoming the youngest announcer in professional basketball history when hired by the Chicago… [Read the Rest]
Margret Ebert ’09. Barely Balanced is billed as an acrobatic act that will “strike fear into the hearts of insurance adjusters everywhere.” Former Gamma Phi Circus performer Margret Ebert ’09 is the newest member of the daredevil trio. She now contorts her limbs and juggles knives with the show that is inspired by Jackie Chan,… [Read the Rest]
Jane (Kalkwarf) Diaz ’73. Jane (Kalkwarf) Diaz ’73 went from teaching art to helping her husband build a family business that now includes their two sons. Diaz Sign Art is in Pontiac but gained international fame last fall with a win in a global design contest. Youngest son, Joe, was the only American to have… [Read the Rest]
Kelsey Coker ’11. Kelsey Coker ’11, who just completed undergraduate degrees in English and Spanish last year, was hoping for some financial help for graduate school. What she received was a $20,000 scholarship as the top winner of the Golden Key International Honour Society Graduate Scholar Award. She was one of only 11 considered for… [Read the Rest]
Innovative sound Travel is a passion for Michael Szymczak ’06. Music is equally important, which explains why Szymczak started the company OrigAudio with a friend. They developed portable audio products, including a fold-and-play speaker set powered off an iPod, and a unit that turns common objects—such as a cup—into a speaker. The products were cited… [Read the Rest]
Globetrotting teacher On a regular school day, Crystal Thiele ’00 teaches social studies to middle school students in Brooklyn, New York. But the past school year was not normal for Thiele, who was one of 110 exceptional teachers from across the United States chosen to participate in a two-way exchange program that provides professional development… [Read the Rest]
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