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Longtime SIU educator establishes scholarship

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By Rebecca Renshaw

Todd Headrick, an emeritus faculty member of the SIU School of Education, has donated $50,000 to establish the Todd Headrick Endowed Scholarship for Graduate Studies in Education.

The endowed gift will fund scholarships for graduate students in education who maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Headrick began his career at SIU in 1999 and has held several positions in the College of Education and Human Services, including a full professorship, chair of his department, the appointment of associate dean of research and his time as a fellow in the provost office. Headrick retired from SIU in January 2020 and now attends law school at Arizona State University Law School.

For Headrick, the importance of giving back was instilled in him at a young age.

“My grandfather would lend a helping hand to others around him, and he was always giving donations for causes he believed in. My mother and her husband are also generous to others, so it seems natural for me to lend a helping hand to students at SIU who are trying to get an education,” he said. “SIU has been good to me, so I want to pay it forward for students who could use the help.”

Between the recent reorganization process and the current COVID-19 situation, the way SIU educates future teachers has changed quite a bit.

“With the reorganization of colleges and schools, the School of Education is now much more focused on education, and it has streamlined the process of educating teachers,” Headrick said. “And, COVID-19 has really pushed the university to pivot into an online learning experience. I am hopeful SIU will continue to gain strength in providing a top-notch online learning environment.”

School of Education Dean M Cecil Smith thanked Headrick for the gift and shared his excitement about the future.

“First, it is a wonderful capstone to his career at SIU. Second, it clearly demonstrates his dedication to ensuring the success of students in the School of Education,” Smith said. “We will be able to provide anywhere from one to four new scholarships in the next academic year as a result of Dr. Headrick’s generosity.”

If you would like to learn how to donate to the School of Education, please click here.

Donor Stories, Higher Education, Illinois Higher Education, Philanthropic Women, SIU

Alumna Honors Parents Through Gift to the Saluki Alumni Plaza

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By Rebecca Renshaw

Whenever Karen Bedwell Herhahn receives marketing material for SIU Carbondale, the photo of the iconic Pulliam Hall is most often prominently featured. However, Bedwell Herhahn does not see just the clock tower of the building—instead she sees University School where she went to junior high and high school. Fond memories of her formative years spent in that building always spring to her mind.

So last year when reviewing the plans for the new Saluki Alumni Plaza statue featured prominently in front of Pulliam Hall, she felt moved to donate $2,000 to the Plaza.

“I spent a lot of time in U-School looking out over SIU campus and it carries a special significance to me. My Father, R. Ralph Bedwell, was recruited by President Delyte Morris to serve as the Director of the newly developed Small Business Institute. Knowing the importance of a good education, my parents sent all of their children to University School. We had opportunities that did not exist in typical small-town schools.”

The primary purpose of University School was a place to do special research and observation. In 1951, the school building was completed. Lower classes, nursery, pre-school, etc., featured two-way glass for student teachers training. Juniors and seniors were able to enroll in university classes. Many of the instructors had their Ph.D.’s. An Olympic size pool, a large art and industrial arts wing with classrooms, an exceptional music program along with top academic programs were available to students. The last high school class to graduate was 1968. Grades nursery through 6th grade were closed in 1971.

Bedwell Herhahn currently sits on the College of Business and Analytics Dean’s External Advisory Board. Members of the Board address and make recommendations on strategic planning, the curriculum, development, and other critical issues.

In the early 2000’s, Bedwell Herhahn made a deferred gift of nearly $150,000 in honor of her parents and established the R. Ralph and Elnora J. Bedwell Endowment for Small Business Development. The purpose of the endowment is to support seminars for the small business community in Southern Illinois.

“Even though I completed all three of my college degrees at other universities, no other university has ever held my loyalty and fond memories like SIU Carbondale,” said Bedwell Herhahn.

 

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Donor Stories, Higher Education, Illinois Higher Education, SIU

Library Establishes New Endowment to Honor Carus Family

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By Rebecca Renshaw

Morris Library has worked with the SIU Foundation to transfer $1 million from the Carus Mineral Trust to create the new Alwin C. Carus Endowment.

John Pollitz, dean of library affairs says the relationship the library has with the benevolent Carus family has been long standing.

“The Carus family has been a valued supporter of the Morris Library and the Special Collections Research Center for over forty years. They have entrusted SIUC with the preservation and promotion of the complete papers of the Open Court Publishing Company. By creating this endowed chair, they have moved our relationship to the next level.”

To read the full press release and learn more about the Carus family and their commitment to science, religion and philosophy, click here. To support SIU’s Morris Library, click here.

Donor Stories, Higher Education, Illinois Higher Education, Philanthropic Women, SIU

SIU School of Law Alumna Extends a Helping Hand Once Again

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Earlier this year, Beth Boggs, ’91 SIU School of Law alumna, and a partner of Boggs, Avellino, Lach & Boggs, donated 10,000 meals and face masks to students in the St. Louis public schools. A feature article on Boggs efforts can be read here.

Now Boggs is giving back again – this time to her alma mater, The SIU School of Law.

Recently, Cindy Walker, development officer for the law school, searched for a way to raise $27,600 to pay for AdaptiBar software to help with the third-year law students’ bar study.

“When I asked the Board of Visitors at the law school to help us fund this need, Beth stepped right up and donated $20,000 and helped raise another $1000.  Other board members then donated the rest,” said Walker.

“We have so many remarkable and loyal alumni,” said Camille Davidson, who took over as dean in July.

“Beth Boggs is a perfect example of the amazing SIU School of Law alumni who are willing to pay it forward and help us meet the needs of our students.”

Donor Stories, Higher Education, Illinois Higher Education, SIU

SIU’s Morris Library honors Carus family with new endowment

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Morris Library at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will honor a benevolent family by establishing the new Alwin C. Carus Endowment. The library’s leadership recently worked to the SIU Foundation to transfer $1 million from the Carus Mineral Trust to create the endowment. It will support archival work and a future endowed chair, the Alwin C. Carus Archivist and Professor of Philosophy, all fully funded by the revenue from the trust.

The Carus family’s relationship with the library is longstanding. Alwin Carus’ grandfather Edward Hegeler and his father, Paul Carus, founded the Open Court Publishing Company in La Salle, Illinois, in 1887. It was one of the first academic presses in the country without a university affiliation.

In the 1960s, Alwin and other surviving family members connected with SIU’s Morris Library, donating materials from the publishing company. The collection of manuscripts, books and other materials is one of the largest in the library’s Special Collections Research Center. It includes subjects focused on religion, science and philosophy, and it has an international reputation that draws people from around the world.

When Alwin Carus died in 2004, Morris Library also received $450,000 from a mineral trust in the family’s name. Every year since, the library has received an additional $150,000.

“Thanks to the generosity of the Carus family and the work of our Special Collections team, for many years we have developed our archival collections and assisted students and professionals locally and around the world,” said John Pollitz, dean of library affairs. “The establishment of the endowment is a win-win, in that it sets up the library into the future to continue its work while simultaneously honoring the original donor, Alwin C. Carus, and his final wishes.”

SIU Chancellor Austin Lane added that the future creation of an endowed chair is significant.

“Endowed chairs help us attract or retain outstanding faculty who are leaders in their fields,” Lane said. “We are deeply grateful to the Carus family, past and present, for helping us preserve and maintain our valuable, historical special collections.”

The youngest son of philosopher Paul Carus, Alwin C. Carus shared his father’s interests in history, archeology and astronomy. Alwin was born in 1901 in La Salle. He majored in chemistry and physics at the University of Chicago, worked in the research laboratory of the Carus Chemical Company and owned farms and ranches in the Badlands of North Dakota, western Minnesota, eastern Montana and the Peace River Valley of Alberta. He traveled to Iraq and Turkey in the 1950s to visit ancient archeological sites and joined several professional astronomical expeditions for observing solar eclipses.

“This particular endowment supports the Open Court collection, which, together with the John Dewey Papers, highlights our strengths in American philosophy,” Pollitz said. “SIU has, in past years, been celebrated as one of the top-tier leaders of this discipline, and the endowment helps to revitalize a commitment to this identifying feature of the university.”

The endowment will support an archivist for the Open Court Publishing Company records and its related collections, as well as other collections in philosophy. The position will also report on the activities and accomplishments with the Open Court Publishing Company records, the Alwin C. Carus Papers, Hegeler-Carus Family Papers and other relevant collections.

Higher Education, Illinois Higher Education, SIU

SIU School of Education Receives the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition

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Congratulations to the SIU School of Education on receiving the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement from the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) – only one of nine programs in the nation to receive the award!

Because teacher education occurs in programs within the School of Education  as well as in other specializations across Southern Illinois University, this award reflects a University-wide commitment to continually improving our quality teacher education program. Additionally, this award recognizes the commitment of our SIU Foundation donors who generously value and support SIU’s 150-year commitment to educating future teachers.

For example, donors to the Teachers Shape the Future fund can be proud that their gifts helped SIU’s Teacher Education Program  pay for a portion of the edTPA licensure test for teacher candidates, an exam used to identify teaching strengths and opportunities for improvement. By supporting this exam cost, required of all teacher candidates, SIU demonstrates its commitment to ensuring all K-12 students have accomplished teachers. This is one of SIU’s strengths that directly led to this award from CAEP.

Gifts to Teachers Shape the Future fund also support the annual Student Teaching Pinning Ceremony – a meaningful event that brings together student teachers and classroom teachers and is a key element of strengthening the relationship with our partners in the development and assessment of our clinical teaching experiences.

Educating, motivating and mentoring quality teachers has been an integral part of Southern Illinois University’s 150-year history. This award demonstrates that quality teacher education is not just our proud legacy, but also a strength today and a commitment to the future. Thank you to all the students, faculty, alumni and donors who made this impressive award possible!

Change Lives – Teach!

Higher Education, Illinois Higher Education, SIU

The SIU Foundation Has Remained Open For Business

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By Matt Kupec

Even during these very challenging eight months of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, the SIU Foundation has remained open and actively engaged with SIU alumni and donors to fulfill our mission of supporting Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

It hasn’t been easy, but we are pleased with the results.

There have been challenges – no travel to meet with our SIU supporters and cancellation of key events – but that doesn’t mean the Foundation team has gone to the sidelines to wait out the pandemic.

Early on when the doors at Colyer and Kaplan Halls were locked, the Foundation’s remote working strategy was:

  • Stay in touch with our alumni and donors with the goal of increasing the number of contacts with our donors.
  • Look for fundraising opportunities that were appropriate in these times that have been so difficult for many of our donors and friends.

It has been a great team effort. We have a really talented and hardworking team that has kept its focus on making SIU better. And our SIU alumni and donors have been spectacular during these COVID-19 months. The passion, the love and the pride our alumni and donors have for SIU is inspiring.

The SIU Foundation was one of the first universities out of the gate when the initial lockdown was enforced in March with a campaign to raise money for students in need due to the hardship of the virus.  The Saluki Cares Student Emergency Fund was launched to help students without laptops to attend online courses and those in dire need of food and shelter as they lost jobs due to the virus.

SIU alumni and donors responded in a big way! Nearly $280,000 in critical funds were raised to support our students in need. More than 1,200 students were supported. And not one student who needed help was forced to withdraw from school.

On Dec. 1, the Foundation will hold a Virtual Scholarship Dinner, inviting hundreds of scholarship donors to meet with their students via Zoom through individual breakout sessions after hearing remarks from Chancellor Austin Lane. The Scholarship Dinner is typically one of the highlights of the year, bringing donors and students together on our SIU campus for an evening of celebration and thanks.

The Foundation wasn’t going to go to the sidelines and take the year off from hosting the scholarship dinner! No, the creativity and imagination of the team has created this virtual event that will bring hundreds of Salukis to together to celebrate the tradition of Salukis helping Salukis.

And more is yet to come as the Foundation team looks for innovative and creative ways to continue to engage with our donors as the pandemic continues to force changes to our normal programming.

Hopefully at some point soon we will return to normalcy and our alumni and donors will return to the beautiful SIU campus to participate in the spectacular events of this most gorgeous campus. But until then, rest assured the SIU Foundation team will keep working hard and looking to engage alumni and donors to help supporting this great University.