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.

“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.”

By Jeff Wilson

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.

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.

“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.

By Jeff Wilson

Where others see a challenge, Dr. Janet Tinoco sees an opportunity.

That’s been true throughout her life and career, which spans from Belleville to Southern Illinois University Carbondale to the defense industry to outer space. It’s what led her to donate $25,000 to endow the Jesse Salvador Tinoco Scholarship for Women in Engineering, named for her father. The scholarship benefits students in the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology and Mathematics, with preference being given to females of Mexican descent.

“Some of it has to do with how I was raised,” she said. “My father was raised by Mexican immigrants. His parents pushed education as a way to improve one’s lot in life.”

Tinoco transferred to SIU from Belleville Area College (now Southwestern Illinois College) and graduated in 1982 with a degree in engineering.

“I come from a hard-working, wonderful family, but we were not wealthy,” she said. “I was the youngest of four girls, all of whom have some element of engineering, science and technology in their careers. My parents worked hard to give us a good education and help us through college.”

After her father passed away nearly a decade ago, Tinoco began to reflect on his impact on her life.

“Looking back, I realized what an influence he was in my education. Without him recognizing my personal need to spread my wings and support me, I would not have been able to come to SIU,” she said. “While my mother wanted us to be self-sufficient, I think my father wanted more for us.”

As an SIU student, Tinoco worked her way through college. She wants the scholarship to ease some of the financial burdens faced by today’s students.

“I hope this scholarship shows students that someone cares about them and their success,” she said. “Working my way through college was hard. I was a good student, but not a straight-A student. There were very limited scholarship opportunities for me, at least that I was aware of.”

Tinoco also hopes her gift may inspire others to give back any way they can.

“All alums that have a passion for SIUC can help the institution. In addition to financial support, we can help spread the word on the good works and educational opportunities at SIUC by simply following, liking and sharing SIUC posts on social media platforms. Or post relevant news about yourself and tag SIUC,” she said. “It doesn’t take much time yet can have a significant positive impact for the university by increasing its visibility.”

After graduating, Tinoco took an engineering job with a defense company in Orlando working on laser-targeting systems for F-16s for the Air Force. She then transferred to Washington, D.C., to work with the Federal Aviation Administration on air traffic control modernization, and then back to Orlando to continue her work in defense.

“My career path was not a straight line. I took lots of turns,” she said.

She later earned her Ph.D. and began teaching at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. During her time at the university, she co-wrote the book: “Runways to Space: An Introduction to the Spaceport Industry.”

“I have always had a passion for space,” Tinoco said. “I enjoy working with emerging economies and indigenous communities to find growth and economic opportunities within the space realm. Currently, I am working to identify opportunities in this field for Native Americans. There are many opportunities in space. You do not have to be an engineer, scientist or astronaut. Anyone can have a role in the space sector.”

Tinoco hopes her scholarship will provide others with the satisfying career she has experienced.

“It really has been an interesting, wonderful career that keeps giving back to me the more I put into it,” she said. “I want everyone to realize they have potential, and they are valued for who they are.”