Arts, Entertainment, Literature
Burl Ives

Burl Ives ex '31

  • Singer/actor
  • Academy Award for best supporting actor, The Big Country, 1958
 Craig Titley

Craig Titley '89

  • Writer/producer
  • The Cape (writer/producer)
  • Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (screenplay)
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars (writer)
Jan Spivey Gilchrist

Jan Spivey Gilchrist '73

  • Award-winning book illustrator
 Jerry Van Dyke

Jerry Van Dyke ex '55

  • Actor/entertainer
Joan Allen

Joan Allen ex '78

  • Tony and SAG award recipient
  • Three-time Academy Award nominee
 John Malkovich

John Malkovich ex '75

  • Actor/director/producer
  • Two-time Academy Award nominee
Luke Ryan

Luke Ryan '01

  • Vice president of theatrical production, MGM motion picture group
  • Former vice president, MTV Films
  • Executive producer, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
 Matthew Polenzani

Matthew Polenzani '91

  • Internationally acclaimed tenor
  • Richard Tucker Award, 2004
  • Metropolitan Opera's Beverly Sills Artist Award, 2009
Randy Arney

Randy Arney '78

  • Actor
  • Artistic director, Geffen Playhouse
  • Former artistic director, Steppenwolf Theatre Company


Business
Bob Jachino

Bob Jachino '59

  • President and CEO, Thomson Information-Publishing Group (retired)
 Daryll Fletcher

Daryll Fletcher '75, '76

  • Vice president of quantitative research and analytics, Allstate Insurance Company (retired)
Don Gher

Don Gher '73

  • Founder and managing director, Coldstream Capital Management (retired)
 Ed Escalante

Ed Escalante '74

  • Vice president and general manager, McKesson Pharmaceutical
  • Former market president, Alliant Foodservice
Howard Kamerer

Howard Kamerer '90, '91

  • President and CEO, WOW Logistics
  • Former President and CEO, Startec Global Communications
  • Former COO and President, Allied Telesyn US and European Operations
 Jack Dadam

Jack Dadam '65

  • Retired co-CEO, Red Bull
  • Responsible for bringing Red Bull to the United States
Jim Evans

Jim Evans '68

  • Former CEO, Jenny Craig
  • Former CEO and board chairman, Best Western International
  • Former senior vice president sales & marketing and operations, Hyatt
 Jimmy Liautaud

Jimmy Liautaud ex '88

  • Founder and chairman of the board, Jimmy John's restaurants
John L. Heath

John L. Heath '58

  • Former president, CEO and chairman of the board, Heath Candy Company
 Mark Grier

Mark Grier '74, '75

  • Chief financial officer, chairman and director, Prudential
  • Former executive vice president, Chase Manhattan Bank
Paul Hopkins

Paul Hopkins '78

  • Chairman of the board and regional chairman of the Americas, Farmers Insurance
  • Chairman of the board, Zurich Holding Company of America (Zurich Insurance)
 Robert Manion

Robert Manion '66

  • Chief financial officer, Global Enterprise Group, Accenture (retired)
Robert A. Ingram

Robert A. Ingram '65

  • Chairman, Elan Corporation
  • Former CEO, Glaxo Wellcome
  • Former vice chairman of pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline
 Stephen Gosselin

Stephen Gosselin '79

  • Vice president, customer services support division, Caterpillar Inc.
  • Former vice president, North American Commercial Division, Caterpillar Inc.
  • Former president, Solar Turbines
William Robinson

William Robinson '76

  • Senior vice president and general manager, Pepsi Bottling Group (retired)
 Yvette Moyo Gillard

Yvette Moyo Gillard '74

  • President, Real Men Cook/MOBE
  • Executive director and co-founder, Real Men Charities, Inc.


Education
Al Bowman

Al Bowman '76

  • Former President, Illinois State University
 Author Hughes

Author Hughes '51

  • President emeritus, University of San Diego
Barbara McLaughlin

Barbara McLaughlin '71

  • Disney American Teacher Award recipient
 C. Nelson Grote

C. Nelson Grote '50

  • President emeritus, Morehead State University
Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy

Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy '65, '67

  • Executive director, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
 H. Ray Hoops

H. Ray Hoops '62

  • President emeritus, University of Southern Indiana
Joe Fatheree

Joe Fatheree '89, '05

  • Recipient, National Teacher of the Year, NEA Award for Teaching Excellence
  • Illinois Teacher of the Year
 John H. Keiser

John H. Keiser '58

  • President emeritus, Missouri State University
Lou Hencken

Lou Hencken '66, '67

  • President emeritus, Eastern Illinois University
 Marvin E. Edwards

Marvin E. Edwards '67

  • Former superintendent of schools in Dallas, Texas; Topeka, Kansas; and Elgin, Illinois
Roseann Drew

Roseann Drew '70

  • Founder and president, The Sunshine House
  • Sixth-largest daycare provider in the United States
 Tim McCollum

Tim McCollum '73, '77

  • U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching
  • Finalist, National Teacher of the Year/NEA Award for Teaching Excellence
  • Illinois Teacher of the Year


Health/Science
Claibourne I. Dungy, M.D.

Claibourne I. Dungy, M.D. '62

  • Director, general pediatrics and adolescent medicine,
    University of Iowa Hospitals (retired)
 Gordon Grado, M.D.

Gordon Grado, M.D. '74

  • Founder and medical director, Southwest Oncology Centers
  • Noted cancer researcher
James Allen

James Allen '79

  • Former lead engineer, International Space Station payload and integration engineering groups
  • Recipient of multiple achievement awards from the Boeing Company and NASA
 Nancy Elwess

Nancy Elwess '76

  • National Association of Biology Teachers college professor of the year award recipient
  • U.S. Presidential Award for Excellent in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring
  • Board of directors, Mayo Clinic Alumni Association
Robert Millis

Robert Millis '63

  • Director, Lowell Observatory (retired)
  • Noted researcher and astronomer
 Ron Davis

Ron Davis '64

  • Director, Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University
  • Professor, biochemistry and genetics, Stanford University
  • Member National Academy of Sciences
Sharon LeDuc

Sharon LeDuc '65

  • Deputy director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center


News, Media
Karen Meyer

Karen Meyer '76

  • President, Karen L. Meyer and Associates
  • Feature reporter, ABC 7 Chicago
  • Two-time recipient: "One of the 100 Women Who Are Making a Difference in Chicago"
 Larry Smith

Larry Smith ex '91

  • Founder, JayeliTV
  • Former CNN sports anchor
Ray D'Alessio

Ray D'Alessio '91

  • Sports anchor, WAVE Louisville
  • Former CNN sports anchor
 Ted Gregory

Ted Gregory '81

  • Writer, Chicago Tribune
  • Pulitzer Prize recipient for investigative reporting
Todd Connor

Todd Connor '87

  • Anchor, WRTV Indianapolis
  • Former anchor/correspondent, FOX News
  • Former anchor/correspondent, ABC News


Public Service
Capt. Charles Hall

Capt. Charles Hall ex '42

  • Tuskegee Airman
  • First African-American pilot in the U.S. armed forces to shoot down an enemy aircraft
 Jim Edgar

Jim Edgar '68

  • Former Illinois governor
  • Former Illinois secretary of state
Major Carlos Ogden

Major Carlos Ogden ex '40

  • WWII Medal of Honor recipient
  • Former director, California Selective Service
 Sue Payton

Sue Payton '72

  • Assistant secretary of the Air Force (retired)
  • Former deputy under secretary of defense
  • Former aerospace industry executive
Vicki Freimuth

Vicki Freimuth '66

  • Director, Southern Center for Communication, Health and Poverty
  • Former associate director for communication, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Sports
Brad Childress

Brad Childress '88

  • Head Coach, Alliance Atlanta (Alliance of American Football)
  • Former head coach, Minnesota Vikings
  • Former offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs
 Dan Steele

Dan Steele '92

  • 2002 U.S. Olympian, bronze medal, bobsled
  • U.S. Olympic trial qualifier, decathlon
  • 1992 NCAA Division I 400M hurdle champion
Darrin Steele

Darrin Steele '92

  • CEO, U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
  • U.S. Olympian, bobsled
  • U.S. Olympic trial qualifier, decathlon
 Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo ex '13

  • Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers
  • Member of two Super Bowl championship teams
  • Second-Round Selection, 2014 NFL Draft (New England Patriots)
John Craft

John Craft '69, '74

  • 1972 U.S. Olympian - 5th Place, Triple Jump
  • Former American record holder in the triple jump
 Joni Comstock

Joni Comstock '79

  • NCAA senior vice president for championships
  • Board of directors, National Association of Collegiate Women's Athletics Administrators
Kevin Duckworth

Kevin Duckworth '86

  • Former NBA all-star
  • Former NBA center: Trail Blazers, Bullets, Bucks, Clippers, Spurs
 Kevin Seitzer

Kevin Seitzer '85

  • Seattle Mariners hitting coach
  • Former MLB all-star third baseman: Royals, Brewers, Indians
  • Runner-up, 1987 American League Rookie of the Year
Marty Pattin

Marty Pattin '66

  • Former MLB all-star
  • Pitcher: Royals, Red Sox, Pilots, Brewers, Angels
 Matt Hughes

Matt Hughes ex '96

  • Former UFC welterweight champion
Mike Heimerdinger

Mike Heimerdinger '75

  • Former offensive coordinator, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, New York Jets
 Mike Shanahan

Mike Shanahan '74, '75

  • Two-time Super Bowl winner
  • Former head coach, Los Angeles Raiders, Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins
Schellas Hyndman

Schellas Hyndman '73

  • Head coach, FC Dallas, 2010 MLS champions
  • Former head soccer coach, Southern Methodist University and EIU
 Sean Payton

Sean Payton '87

  • Head coach, Denver Broncos
  • Former head coach, New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions; 2006 NFL Coach of the Year
  • Former offensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants
Tim Bogar

Tim Bogar '87

  • Former Base Coach, Washington Nationals & Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Former MLB manager
  • Former MLB infielder: Astros, Mets, Dodgers
 Tony Romo

Tony Romo ex '03

  • Pro Bowl quarterback, Dallas Cowboys
  • Lead Football Analyst, CBS Sports


EIU African-American Alumni Awarded Advanced Terminal Degrees

Law

Attorney Sheera Carthans, JD
Attorney Brittany Fisher JD
Attorney Kevin McCants JD
Attorney Dr. Takenya Nixon JD
Attorney Candace Smith Tucker JD
Attorney Erika Weaver JD

Medical

Dr. Siraj Abdullah MD
Dr. Tony Aloize PharmD
Dr. Ray Blaney DMD
Dr. Claiborne Dungy MD
Dr. Rod Mathis DDS
Dr. Marlesa Shields, MD
Dr. Marcus Waller DC

Ph.D./Ed.D

Dr. Sheldon Aaron
Dr. Clint Alexander
Dr. Andre Allen
Dr. Nathaniel Anderson
Dr. Shernita Banks Mays
Dr. Ivan Blount
Dr. Curley Bradford 		Dr. Lois Britton
Dr. LaJoyce Hunter Brookshire
Dr. William Bumphus
Dr. Latasha Cain Nesbit
Dr. Kimberly Coley
Dr. Obinno Coley
Dr. Lashaundra Cunningham
Dr. Mona Davenport
Dr. Tamara Denton
Dr. Shareese Reese Donaldson
Dr. Anthony Dunbar
Dr. Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy
Dr. Jamie Enge
Dr. Yolanda Williams Goliday
Dr. Caleb Gilchrist
Dr. Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Dr. Kevin Gilchrist
Dr. Javiera Green
Dr. Makesha Harris
Dr. DeReese Reid Hart
Dr. Kimberly Hollingsworth
Dr. Yolanda Isaacs
Dr. Michael Jeffries
Dr. Carly N. Jones
Dr. Beverly (Patton) Kennedy
Dr. Kimberly Kimbrough		 Dr. Kelvin Lane
Dr. Sarah Porter Liddell
Dr. Solomon Mbua
Dr. Samuel Mbua
Dr. Jeniece Mitchell
Dr. Tracy Oluwami
Dr. Priscilla Palmer
Dr. Kwame Patterson
Dr, Shawn Peoples
Dr. Delphine Rankins
Dr. Shalonda Randle
Dr. Audra Rowe
Dr. JaDora Sailes Moore
Dr. Emma Savage Davis
Dr. Leatrice Satterwhite
Dr. Denise Smyles
Dr. William Smith
Dr. Denise Spells
Dr. Kenneth Spells
Dr. Phillip “PJ” Thompson
Dr. Ida Teverbaugh Turpin
Dr. Stephen Tyler
Dr. Eric Walker
Dr. Shantay Wakefield
Dr. Nicole White
Dr. Tron Young