Stories of Philanthropy
Saluki Ball shines in Carbondale, bridges the gap for SIU students
The third annual Saluki Ball packed the Southern Illinois University Student Center ballrooms with a sold-out crowd, as SIU’s premier fundraiser returned home after two successful years in Chicago.
Nearly 500 alumni, friends, students, and supporters joined Chancellor Austin Lane, President Dan Mahony, the SIU Foundation, and others on Saturday, April 26, for the black-tie optional event. Marc Silverman, ESPN radio host and 1993 SIU graduate, served as emcee.
Proceeds from the ball support the university’s Bridge the Gap Scholarship Fund, which helps students cover outstanding bursar bills.
Internship leads to major gift to SIU’s School of Media Arts
When a friend introduced Joe Dougherty to SIU senior A.J. Rice, they had no idea of the incredible partnership on the horizon.
Dougherty is executive vice president of MBS, Inc., one of the world’s largest sources of lighting and grip equipment in the entertainment world. Rice, a Du Quoin native, is majoring in cinema and theater and recently completed an internship with Village Roadshow in Los Angeles.
Over the next few months, Rice would have an internship with MBS, and Dougherty would be finalizing a gift-in-kind of more than $350,000 in lighting and grip equipment to SIU’s School of Media Arts.
Griffith’s passion for Touch of Nature leads to major gift
Hearing Tim Griffith speak about his time at Southern Illinois University, it quickly becomes clear that he has a connection that transcends human interaction. It was at Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center that he found something deeper.
His love for nature and his passion for conservation have been the driving force behind his enduring support for the university and its initiatives.
“The importance of Touch of Nature is that it’s here. It’s not some foreign place. This is home,” Griffith said.
Alumnus Ken Park donates world percussion collection to SIU School of Music
Kenneth “Ken” Park, a 1971 graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Music, has donated $100,000 worth of percussion instruments and accessory items to the SIU School of Music, giving students hands-on access to global sounds and professional-grade gear.
“I’ve known for years that I wanted my instruments to come home to SIU,” said Park, 80, who lives in Westchester, California. “These drums and mallet instruments were my therapy and my friends. I hope students will hear the human side of music in them and create their own sound.”
Gazdeck pledges $100K, a gift 52 years in the making
After visiting the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus for the first time in 52 years, Elaine Gazdeck was inspired to make a transformative impact on women’s sports.
The 1972 graduate pledged a $100,000 planned gift to establish the Elaine Gazdeck Women’s Sports Empowerment Scholarship Endowment Fund, which will benefit women’s basketball and women’s golf.
“I want young women who choose to go to SIU to have the means to do that,” she said. “It’s helping somebody have an opportunity to see what their potential is academically and athletically.”
Iota Phi Theta fraternity pledges $50K for scholarship fund
Since being established in 1963 at Morgan State College, the Iota Phi Theta fraternity has been focused on building a tradition. That mission continues at SIU with the Iota Five-Star Scholarship Fund.
With a $50,000 pledge, the fraternity awarded its scholarship to Francesca Stewart, a junior from Chicago majoring in social work. After she completes her degree at SIU, she hopes to work as a case manager and field worker for the Department of Children and Family Services. She also plans to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in social work and eventually open a facility for children and teenagers to have a safe space and express themselves in creative ways.
Brewer invests in art education at SIU
Thomas Brewer, Ph.D., an accomplished artist and educator, is a strong advocate for visual art education in public schools and universities.
To honor that passion, he established the Dr. Thomas M. Brewer Art Education Scholarship. The scholarship supports students pursuing teaching careers in the visual art, reflecting his purpose of making the field accessible to young, creative minds.
“For a student to receive a few thousand dollars to use to attend a nearby conference during their undergraduate years is major. Who knows where the opportunity will lead them from there,” said Brewer, a 1973 graduate of Southern Illinois University’s College of Arts and Media.
Mike Norrington: A true Big Dawg
For more than 50 years, Mike Norrington has been a Saluki Athletics season ticket holder. Now, he is one of the first members of the newly minted Big Dawg Leadership Society.
The society honors the most resolute supporters among Saluki Nation and offers them unique access and opportunities to enhance the fan experience. Members of the Big Dawg Leadership Society are recognized at various giving levels. Norrington recently made a $30,000 pledge to Saluki Athletics.
Daley makes $25K gift to support interior design students
What began with an interest in a design education has come full circle for SIU alumna Jill Daley. With a $25,000 gift, she established the Jill Daley Design Scholarship in the School of Architecture.
A Crystal Lake native, Daley started her education at Harper College in Palatine and started researching design schools.
“SIU came up as one of the top 10 design schools in the country, and it had in-state tuition,” she said. “Truthfully, I’m not sure if I didn’t have the SIU option what I would have done, because I pretty much put myself through school.”
Soaring High: Chris Sims’ Journey from Aspiring Pilot to Aviation Mentor
Chris Sims, a 30-year United Airlines pilot and SIU School of Aviation alumnus, believes those who share a boundless passion for flying deserve to be uplifted just as he was.
In support of that belief, he recently established the John and Carol Sims Aviation Scholarship. The scholarship is named after his parents.
“A dream is only a dream until it becomes reality. It does not become a reality unless you have some help along the way,” he said.
Son honors parents with scholarship for international students
David Lee’s parents, James and Li Ma, came to Southern Illinois University separately in the late-1950s in search of education and a path to a better life, and they found so much more.
“This is their American dream story. Their families had moved to Taiwan from China during World War II, fleeing the Communist regime,” he said. “They were the first of their families to come to the United States. SIU gave them the opportunity to do that.”
The role Southern played in their journey inspired David to make a $25,000 gift, endowing the James T. and Li Ma Lee Scholarship. The funds will support a scholarship for international students in the School of Journalism and/or the School of Education.
Clay creates legacy through service, $25K scholarship
Raised by her grandparents in Chicago, Makela Clay was taught the value of giving at an early age.
“They instilled the idea in me that I am my brother’s keeper and that I should treat people the way I want to be treated,” she said. “I love supporting and helping others be their best selves.”
Most recently, she pledged $25,000 to endow the Concrete Rose Scholarship.
Husband, wife support students through retention scholarship
Drs. Dan Elkins and Amelia Noël-Elkins are uniquely aware of the obstacles facing college students.
Dan, a 1993 SIU graduate, is the associate vice president for academic fiscal management at Illinois State University, and Amelia is the associate provost at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Together, they established the Elkins Student Support Scholarship within SIU’s College of Health and Human Sciences. The fund provides financial support to current students, particularly to those seeking an internship to advance their career experience.
A Journey of Fate and Gratitude: Man Nguyen’s Saluki Story
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of his graduation, Nguyen established the Man and Lien Nguyen Mathematics & Computer Science Scholarship Fund with a $25,000 gift. The fund will provide two annual scholarships: one for a student majoring in mathematics or computer science, and another for a student majoring in mechanical engineering. The latter is in memory of his friend Long Nguyen, who graduated alongside him in 1975 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
Record-breaking attendance highlights impact at SIU Foundation Scholarship Dinner
Donors and scholarship recipients connected during the 11th Annual SIU Scholarship Dinner on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
The event brought together a record-breaking 119 donors and donor representatives and 86 scholarship recipients, representing 91 unique scholarships — each a testament to the profound impact of philanthropy at Southern.