Incredible corporate partnerships play a vital role in the success of Southern Illinois University students, particularly in the School of Automotive.
“You have a program that students don’t just graduate from, they actually come back and give to the program,” Chancellor Austin Lane said. “Our alumni are out across the country. It really helps when those alumni stay connected because our students can connect and network and get jobs.”
This fall, the school received a donation of nine electric vehicles from Nissan, a gift facilitated by SIU alumnus and Nissan executive Lee Raines.
“Nissan is one of the early adopters for electric vehicles, and our partnership with them has been very strong for decades,” said Andrew Croxell, director of the School of Automotive. “They’ve been extremely generous to us.”
The donation consists of nine new Nissan Leafs for students to work on in the Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center.
“From a pure training standpoint, to have nine examples of anything is really valuable to us,” Croxell said. “Lee Raines at Nissan has been a huge supporter for a number of years. He was instrumental in sourcing these donation vehicles as well as several other components and vehicles over the years.”
Raines, a 1986 alumnus of the school, is the senior manager of aftersales operations for Nissan North America, Inc.
“One of the exciting things that happens from time to time … is the opportunity to provide vehicles to the school so the technicians can learn the latest technology,” he said. “It will allow the technicians to learn about electric motors, transducers, final drive units, along with batteries and battery management systems.”
Beyond his work through Nissan, Raines and his wife, Renee, have established the Lee and Renee Raines Automotive Scholarship.
“Giving back to the university … helps those who really want to succeed,” he said.
To learn more about how you can support SIU programs and students, visit siuf.org.
When Reggie Townsend and his brothers in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. – Gamma Upsilon Chapter wanted to establish a scholarship, they found exactly what they were looking for at the SIU Foundation.
“We felt that it was important to give back to an institution that had given to us,” Townsend, a 1992 graduate of the College of Technical Careers, said. “The Foundation made it simple. I thought ‘This is awesome, and oh by the way, it happens to be at the institution where the people are that we want to help.’ All the planets aligned.”
Through that process, the fraternity established the Dream Achievers Scholarship, which supports Black men pursuing their bachelor’s degree at Southern.
“We wanted create avenues for young men who come from situations and conditions that we did,” Townsend said. “We wanted to give them opportunities that we had envisioned for ourselves and allow them to do something bigger and better than we did.”
Townsend is the vice president of data ethics for the SAS Institute, which develops analytics and artificial intelligence software. He leads responsible innovation efforts globally, ensuring that technologies like AI and quantum computing are safe and trustworthy. He is a true leader in the field.
“Leading a team around the globe, we make sure the software we create and products we develop don’t hurt people,” he said. “I am also on the National AI Advisory Committee and have advised the president and White House on matters of AI.”
The son of an SIU alumnus, Townsend first visited the university during a Black Alumni Reunion in the 1980s. He was later admitted to SIU during his junior year of high school.
“SIU was close enough to home to feel safe, but far enough away to feel independent,” he said. “It was at SIU that I learned I could lead. People saw in me things that I didn’t see myself. They pushed me toward opportunities that I didn’t see for myself, and I’m extremely appreciative of that.”
Through the Dream Achievers Scholarship, Townsend and the Kappas aim to help students in financial need who maybe aren’t at the very top of their class academically.
“Latent talent shouldn’t go untapped because students lack financial wherewithal,” he said. “Those students in the top 1 or 2 percent, they usually have access to scholarships. What about those students who are every bit as talented but just need an opportunity? Why shouldn’t we figure out ways to help those kinds of students?
“I have a measure of empathy, especially for those who might be deemed vulnerable in our society. To the degree that I can assist, I’m here to listen and do if there are those who have the courage enough to ask for help. I don’t see a better model for society than each of us helping one another.”
While acknowledging that not everyone has equal capacity to give financially, Townsend encourages others to consider the difference they can make in the lives of SIU students.
“Oftentimes, all of us, feel like we need more than we already have. The act of giving to someone else brings a measure of fulfillment that the next dollar can’t. I’m extremely fortunate to be in a position where the next couple of dollars are not going to materially change my life. I realize not everyone is in that position,” he said. “I am an extreme believer that those of us who have benefited from the opportunity afforded to us by education – particularly those of us from historically marginalized communities – have an obligation to extend that opportunity to others.”
To learn more about making a similar gift, visit siuf.org.
Jim Hayes Stadium Club to be named in honor of historic gift
Jamie Hayes, owner of Jim Hayes, Inc., and his wife, Netta, are donating $1 million to Saluki Athletics.
By Jeff Wilson
With a $1 million gift, Jamie and Netta Hayes further strengthen their family’s ties to Saluki Athletics.
The Hayes family has been a fixture around SIU since Jamie’s father, Jim, first came to Southern in 1961 on a football scholarship.
In honor of this historic gift, SIU Director of Athletics Tim Leonard has announced the naming of the Jim Hayes Stadium Club inside Saluki Stadium. Some of the funds from this gift will be used to revitalize the space.
“For Jamie and Netta to step up in this way says a ton about them and where we are headed,” Leonard said. “They see the vision. They see the passion. They know how valuable Saluki Athletics is to SIU and all of Southern Illinois. This is massively important for us, and I want to thank them on behalf of Saluki Nation.”
One of the premier locations on campus, the Jim Hayes Stadium Club will continue to be utilized by members of the entire campus community for important events and major announcements.
“For my dad’s name to be further etched into Saluki history this way is incredible,” Jamie Hayes said. “We wanted to make a statement about how we feel about SIU and what the Salukis mean to us and this community. We wouldn’t be able to do this if it weren’t for him. I think he would be proud.”
Jim Hayes first came to SIU in 1961 on a football scholarship.
The Hayes Legacy
After graduating from SIU with a degree in education in 1962, Jim Hayes moved to Macomb, where he taught, coached football and married his wife, Bette, in 1966. After taking up car sales as a part-time job, he found a knack for the profession and moved his family to Harrisburg in 1976, founding the Jim Hayes, Inc., car dealership.
“My dad played linebacker at SIU. He had a great nickname, ‘The Axe,’” Jamie Hayes said. “From there, it was just always following the Salukis. He had a lot of great loves. He loved his family, the business, his employees, customers, and he loved SIU.”
Raising his family and growing his business in Southern Illinois, Jim Hayes made a point to support SIU through Saluki Athletics. Jim Hayes passed away in 2018, leaving an incredible legacy at Southern. The dealership is now owned and operated by Jamie Hayes.
“I grew up going with my dad to basketball games. SIU has a history of great coaches and great teams,” he said. “The time spent with my dad was always good. I have great memories of these programs.”
Jamie Hayes graduated from SIU in 1994 with a degree in speech communication from the College of Liberal Arts. He has long supported Saluki Athletics, including partnerships and charitable giving through his business, and been a fixture at SIU events for decades.
He recently joined the Big Dawg Leadership Society, which recognizes donors who give annually to Saluki Athletics.
“The success of SIU can do nothing but help the region,” he said. “Now, more than ever, it’s time to step it up a little bit more. You’re going to need more community involvement. You have to bleed maroon no matter what.”
Dylan Chambers joined the SIU Foundation as the assistant director of annual giving in December 2024.
In this role, Chambers will help develop and implement fundraising strategies to grow donor participation and contributions. He will assist in building relationships with donors through gift acknowledgments and stewardship events. He is also heavily involved in tracking naming opportunities on campus, highlighting significant giving opportunities at SIU.
Before stepping into his current role, Chambers interned with the SIU Foundation, contributing to development initiatives and refining donor engagement tools. As a student at Southern, he raised over $100,000 for the SIU Dawg Pound, the official student section for Saluki Athletics, which he also led. He served as vice president of student affairs for the Undergraduate Student Government, advocating for students and enhancing campus life.
In 2021, Chambers was elected to the Metropolis City Council, becoming the youngest alderman in the city’s history. During his term, he served on the Parks and Recreation Committee and the Small Business & Industrial Park Committee, working to improve community resources and support local economic development.
Chambers earned a Bachelor of Science in sports administration with a minor in coaching from SIU in May 2024. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, especially his nephew, Kendrick, and cheering on Saluki Athletics.
Tammera Holmes, a visionary leader and passionate advocate for female leadership and aviation, passed away on Dec. 1, 2024, leaving an enduring legacy.
Graduating from SIU’s Aviation Management program in 2000, she broke barriers and inspired countless young people to pursue their dreams in the aviation industry. She was the founder and CEO of Aerostar Avion Institute, an afterschool academic program established in 2008 to create awareness of aviation and aeronautical career opportunities among women, minorities and at-risk students.
“I grew up in a very impoverished household, a crime-ridden community just outside of the west side of Chicago. Survival just became a way of life. There were times when there wasn’t enough food to eat, and my safe haven was school,” Holmes said in a 2022 interview with the SIU Alumni Association.
Her mother knew she had to keep Tammera busy to keep her focused.
“She was looking for things for me to do. One Saturday morning she sent me out to go on a Young Eagles flight with the Chicago Tuskegee Airmen’s chapter,” Holmes said. “We were flying over Lake Michigan on the most beautiful day, and I knew that day that aviation had not just changed my life, but probably saved my life. I went on to pursue a degree in aviation at Southern Illinois University.”
After starting her career as an airport planner and consultant, she quickly realized there was no clear pathway for a woman to become a leader within her company
“I have dedicated my career to aviation and aerospace education and created access and opportunity for young people who look like me and come from where I come from … to really show them there is a path to the top for them,” Holmes said.
Beyond aviation, she sought to bridge the gap for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
“Being able to inspire young women to be not just a part of the future of this country, but a future of the leadership that’s going to lead American into the next generation of innovation, especially in STEM,” Holmes said. “I want to encourage young women to raise their hand and really step up and take charge of their future to volunteer for more opportunities to lead and to command the stage.
“My advice to women around the world is to show up authentically as yourself. So many times, I was told I was too loud. I was too aggressive. I was too demanding. But those are the exact same characteristics that men have when they show up to work, and they are rewarded for it. So don’t shrink back. Don’t just have a seat at the table, have ownership of the table. One of the things I love about aviation is that airplanes are not designed to go in reverse. The thrust is always moving you forward. As long as everything is in balance and you have the right power and the mechanisms to implement power, just keep pressing forward.”
Tammera Holmes School of Aviation DEI Faculty Endowment
To honor Tammera’s memory and continue her mission, the SIU Foundation has established the Tammera Holmes School of Aviation DEI Faculty Endowment.
This fund will support faculty diversity initiatives within the School of Aviation to help ensure that the educational environment reflects the diversity of the workforce and student body. The goal is to raise $100,000 to establish this faculty fellowship to create a legacy at SIU that reflects Tammera’s accomplishments in the industry.
This endowment will give the School of Aviation the opportunity to contribute to curriculum design, research priorities and mentorship strategies that foster an inclusive environment for our students, faculty and staff. The faculty fellow would be able to utilize funds to enhance DEI efforts in the School of Aviation or the aviation industry. The Tammera Holmes School of Aviation DEI Faculty Fellow would be available to a faculty member on a five-year term limit.
Join us in honoring Tammera’s legacy and shaping the future of aviation. Make a gift at siuf.org/tammera.
CARBONDALE – The impact made by Dr. Bob and Beth Gower has been felt by Southern Illinois University Carbondale students and faculty for years. Now, the Gower name will be forever imprinted into the university’s future at the Gower Translational Research Center.
The Gowers have been generous donors to Southern for many years. Most recently, they dedicated $2.5 million to advance the mission and support the research activities taking place across campus.
Bob and Beth Gower have donated $2.5 million in support of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s research activities.
In honor of this transformational gift, the SIU Board of Trustees voted Thursday, Dec. 5, that the McLafferty Annex be named the Gower Translational Research Center.
“The Gower family story is an incredible one, and it all began at Southern, so it is appropriate that we honor their legacy with this naming,” Chancellor Austin Lane said. “We are so thankful for everything they have done for this university.”
Bob Gower, a West Frankfort native, graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry in 1958 and 1960, respectively. He met his wife, Beth, while both were studying at SIU. She graduated in 1961. Dr. Gower earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is the founder and executive chairman of Ensysce Biosciences, a biotech company that develops tamper-proof and abuse-resistant prescription drugs.
Before their latest gift, the Gowers established the Bob G. & Mary Beth Gower Scholarship Endowment in SIU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, which has benefited more than 50 students. They also established the Beth & Bob Gower Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences.
Dr. Gower is a two-time recipient of the SIUC Alumni Achievement Award from the College of Science (1988, 2008). He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the college and was inducted into the Chemistry & Biochemistry Hall of Fame in 1997. He served as a member of the steering committee for the university’s Opportunity Through Excellence campaign and as a member of the Chemistry & Biochemistry Advisory Committee. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the university in 2018. The Gowers, who reside in Houston, have three adult daughters and several grandchildren.
Their $2.5 million gift is yet another major step in the SIU Foundation’s Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign. With a goal of raising $500 million by July 2028, the campaign currently sits at more than $361 million. It is the fifth largest such campaign in the history of public universities in Illinois.
“We could not have this kind of success without the support of alumni like Bob and Beth Gower,” said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and CEO of the SIU Foundation. “This is a spectacular moment in the history of our great university, and this momentum is going to carry us into an even brighter future.”
Formerly McLafferty Annex, the Gower Translational Research Center is located at 1785 University Press Drive.
The Gower Translational Research Center, located at 1785 University Press Drive, is a hub of high-level research. In October 2024, SIU dedicated a $7.2 million BioLaunch lab in the center. The 10,000-square-foot space is dedicated to life sciences research and more.
Funded in part by a $2.7 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Wet Lab Program, BioLaunch is the newest addition to the Illinois Food, Entrepreneurship, Research, and Manufacturing (iFERM) Hub, a state-of-the-art research and training suite for faculty use, students, start-up companies and private firms in the region. iFERM capitalizes on the university’s research and innovation into food, fermentation and biotechnology. In 2021, the SIU Foundation provided a $1.1 million grant to advance the progress on the Fermentation Science Institute, which is inside the center.
“BioLaunch and other components of the iFERM Hub will help us solve challenges in food, agriculture, energy and health through research, innovation and education,” Dr. Costas Tsatsoulis, vice chancellor of research at SIU, said during the BioLaunch ribbon cutting. “And it will provide infrastructure for the development of Illinois agriculture value-added products to promote and support successful entrepreneurial activities.”
The center is also home to the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, and an ultra-fast laser facility, further enhancing its role as a center for diverse research initiatives.
There is still time to apply for the SIU Foundation Women’s Leadership Council 2024-25 WLC Microgrant, a funding opportunity available exclusively to SIU women faculty, staff, and students.
The deadline to apply is Monday, Dec. 9. Award finalists will be notified by Feb. 6. Interviews will be Feb. 24, and grants will be awarded on May 1. Fill out the application here: siuf.org/wlc/grant.php.
Since 2020, the WLC has united alumnae, parents, and friends dedicated to empowering women and advancing women-driven philanthropy at SIU. Council members contribute their time, energy, resources, and expertise serving on university boards and championing SIU in their home regions. Embodying a legacy of leadership, WLC collectively funds women’s initiatives and scholarships on campus.
This is an opportunity to put your vision into action with the support of a council committed to women’s empowerment.
Here are some important notes to consider when applying:
There is no guarantee that your application will move forward to the interview round.
You are encouraged to submit a focused and strategic application.
WLC is not a flow-through for other non-profit organizations. The goal is to impact student learning and experience, not fundraise for other philanthropies.
Prioritization is given to new projects to provide seed money. Funding is not prioritized for continuing initiatives unless there is a significant new component or a compelling reason to consider sustaining funding after the first year.
Please read the Grant Awards Application Instructions carefully as there are other parameters to consider when requesting funding.
Funding is typically not granted for giveaways, prizes, or food.
Funding is not allowed to be used as salaries or stipends.
A.J. Rice (left) and Connor Falson, program coordinator of the Technology Equipment Room in the School of Media Arts, unload some of the equipment donated by MBS, Inc.
By Jeff Wilson
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 had 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.
“After his internship with Village Roadshow, he had no plans for the following summer, so I offered him an internship,” Dougherty said. “The gift came up organically in our conversation.”
Rice noted the importance of such a partnership with a company like MBS.
“SIU is a school that thrives on hard work and self-determination. It needs to keep up technologically with the top schools in the nation,” he said. “MBS has everything, so I started figuring out what SIU needs and wants.”
Upon seeing the lists of needed equipment, Dougherty quickly saw that MBS was perfectly positioned to help.
The donation includes hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of lighting and grip equipment.
“Primarily, we are providing lights and grip equipment that service broadcast television and theater,” he said. “I recognized that the things SIU needed are things we have in abundance. As some of these things become less moving in our industry, we make room for updated equipment, but the things we’re moving on from can make SIU’s inventory more robust.”
Beyond the impact of the gift, the partnership with MBS is likely to outlast any equipment the company can offer.
“The internship was mind-blowing. I tried to be like a sponge while I was there,” Rice said. “I would love to not be the only one experiencing these things.”
Dougherty said MBS plans to expand its partnership with SIU and hopes to continue improving the experience of SIU students.
“One of the biggest pleasures of my role in this industry is bringing good people together with great intentions and great skills,” he said. “There is the respected formal education in film and theater, and the internship complements that. The only limit is your ambition.”
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.
“My father came specifically for journalism. He was always intent on working at the New York Times, and that is what he did,” he said.
Li Ma and James Lee are pictured in 1961.
James came to SIU before Li Ma. He became president of the Chinese Student Association and was already well-established on campus by the time Li Ma arrived in September 1959. As the eldest of eight children, Li Ma came to SIU on a full scholarship for graduate school. After meeting and falling in love, the couple wed in Carbondale’s St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in 1961. When James graduated in 1962, they decided to leave for New York.
“My father knocked on the door of the New York Times asking for a job. He took anything they offered, starting at the bottom as a copy boy and eventually becoming one of the newspaper’s first Asian editors,” David said. James’ career at the newspapers spanned more than 30 years.
Despite the success and happiness, one thing had been left unfinished in Carbondale. Li Ma was a single credit short of earning her graduate degree when the couple moved to pursue James’ dream of working at the New York Times.
James Lee worked at the New York Times for more than 30 years.
“When my parents left SIU, my mom was already pregnant with me”, David said. “She had earned her way to SIU and was a tremendous student, always at the top of her class.”
After James passed away in 2012, David was inspired to reach out to SIU and see what could be done to recognize his mother’s academic achievement. He worked with Kelly Mason and Dr. Yueh-Ting Lee, who was the dean of the graduate school, to find a solution.
“I decided to bring closure to her,” David said. “After 60 years, SIU bestowed her an honorary degree. It is beyond words. She was shocked. To this day, that degree sits on her dining room table. It meant everything to her.”
With Li Ma turning 90 years old next year, David thought making a gift to support other international students would be a great way to honor his parents.
“What do you get someone who is 90? I thought this might be the greatest gift,” he said. “My mom and dad’s stories intertwined at SIU. Of all the places for them to meet, it was meant to be. SIU is forever in our hearts.”
To learn more about making a gift, visit siuf.org.
Chancellor Austin Lane speaks to the crowd Tuesday, Nov. 19, at The Henry in Dallas.
They say everything is bigger in Texas. In many ways, that was true for the Saluki Takeover Tours in Dallas and Houston.
Traveling to the two cities from Monday, Nov. 18, through Thursday, Nov. 21, Chancellor Austin Lane and other campus leaders visited nearly 20 high schools, multiple community colleges, hosted two chancellor’s receptions, two corporate engagement events, and 25 donor visits. There were also two events hosted by donors. Each Saluki Takeover Tour is hosted by the SIU Foundation, in its role as an accelerator for Southern.
SIU officials visited multiple schools in the Houston and Dallas areas.
“We come here, and we connect. We have been trying to strategically get to Dallas and Houston since I started,” Lane said to a group of more than 125 alumni and friends Tuesday, Nov. 19, at The Henry in Dallas.
More than 110 people gathered at the House of Blues in Houston on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
“We have been doing these takeover tours for three years, and we kept saying we have to get out to Texas,” Lane said. “We can’t recruit and increase enrollment without your energy. Students will come to Southern Illinois if you help us recruit them there.”
At each stop, Chancellor Lane and others touted the importance of spreading the word about SIU and sharing the good news coming from the Carbondale campus. This includes details about recent enrollment increases, the upcoming transition to an R1 research institution, and the ongoing Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign, which is the fifth largest in the history of Illinois public universities.
“We have a half-billion campaign going on. That’s big time,” Lane said. “We started these takeover tours three years ago … to establish relationships and re-engage. Our Foundation is the reason we’re doing the things we’re doing.”
The Imagine SIU 2030 campaign has raised more than $375 million, and it continues until 2028.
Chancellor Austin Lane speaks to the crowd in Houston.
Over the past three-plus years, Saluki Takeover Tours have visited Chicago, St. Louis, Springfield, Southern Illinois, Memphis, Nashville, Florida, and Hollywood. More stops are planned in new locations, including Phoenix and others to be announced.
“We get together with alumni, and (university representatives) visit many high schools to grow the pipeline from Dallas to Carbondale,” Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and CEO of the SIU Foundation said. “We leave Carbondale with our flag. We come to Dallas, and we put the flag in the ground, and tell everyone in Dallas that this is Saluki territory!”
The corporate partnerships events included visits to ExxonMobil and AT&T.
Sherrica Hunt, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development & Alumni Relations, visits with students at Lone Star College.
