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CARBONDALE – Thanks to a lead gift from the late Tilden “Tim” Parks, a 1976 SIU graduate, Campus Lake will soon have a new addition.

Final preparations are underway to install a new state-of-the-art fountain to the center of the lake. This much needed and long overdue fountain will help circulate the water of the lake, helping to prevent the growth of harmful algal blooms and improve all forms of life, such as plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. The university eradicated cyanobacteria from the lake with a massive cleanup effort in 2016, but left unchecked, they’ll start to take over again.

The gift from Parks helped spark the conversation about adding a fountain, but funding is still needed to secure and install the first of hopefully a few different fountains on the lake. The foundation is seeking an additional $30,000 to make this project a reality and to honor the legacy of Mr. Parks and his family.

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The community will be invited to a dedication ceremony for the fountain this fall. Details are still being finalized for this event.

“I want to challenge everyone to give back to others and to what is important to them,” said the late Ralph E. Becker, who donated $1 million to renovate the lake’s boathouse in 2017. “It is extremely important to challenge others to do bigger and better than what I am able to accomplish. That is the only way progress will be made.”

Natural beauty often ranks highly in the promotional material of Southern Illinois University Carbondale . One of the campus’s most heavily photographed spots is the scenic landscape of Campus Lake. Campus Lake is a 43-acre spring-fed lake set amongst woodlands. The lake area is popular for students walking across campus to get to class, and is also the site of many campus-wide events like the Great Cardboard Boat Regatta, the Doc Spackman Memorial Triathlon, Moonlight Canoeing, and fundraising and awareness walks.

Purchased in 1956 from the Thompson family that gave its name to Thompson Point and Thompson Woods, Campus Lake was originally known as Thompson Lake. It was only after its purchase that it would be re-christened, when a new Thompson Lake was created just north of Carbondale to serve as a local reservoir.

Campus Lake Trail is a 2-mile paved trail around campus lake. Along the trail, there is a nature boardwalk and multiple workout areas. This trail is often used for everyday recreation by walkers, runners, and joggers. On average the trail sees about 1,500 users a week. The trail hosts multiple organized walks and runs throughout the year.

Your support of the Campus Lake fountain project will allow the university to preserve and maintain this for generations to come.

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Husband, wife support students through retention scholarship

By Jeff Wilson

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.

Drs. Dan Elkins and Amelia Noël-Elkins
Drs. Dan Elkins and Amelia Noël-Elkins attend the 2025 Saluki Ball.

“One of the big motivations for this was to help students who aren’t as fortunate, who do not have support in place,” Dan said.

While many scholarships are directed toward incoming students, both Dan and Amelia thought it was important to aid students who are already on their higher education journey.

“Sometimes we don’t openly acknowledge the fact that it’s almost harder to retain a student than it is to recruit them,” Amelia said. “The scholarship had to focus on helping students who might be facing a few hiccups along the way, might have a few roadblocks to be able to get over that hump and complete their degree.”

Many students, especially in the College of Health and Human Sciences, take on internships to gain valuable work experience and advance their education. Some of these internships last months and are unpaid.

“It was very intentional to make sure that the fund could be used for internships also to make sure students could advance their network and could be able to have professional opportunities and growth. We all know that sometimes internships lead to that first job.”

Dan’s father, Dr. Donald Elkins, worked at SIU as a professor of plant and soil sciences in the College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences. He established the college’s well-known Agbassadors program, and each year a faculty member is awarded the Donald M. Elkins Excellence Award. Donald Elkins passed away in 2013.

Dan was born and raised in Carbondale and earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation from the College of Health and Human Sciences in 1993. He then earned a master’s and doctoral degree from Indiana University.

“My dad was someone who knew what he wanted to do his whole life,” Dan said. “I, on the other hand, did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to do. I changed my major four times. It took me a long time to finish. My experience was a struggle of sorts, trying to find that direction. At SIU, I had tremendous support … so many people helped me. Many students do not have the support or resources that I did. We hope this gift affords students the opportunity to stay in school as they find their path.”

Amelia and Dan met while at Indiana University, and both have gone on to successful careers in higher education.

“I’m a Saluki by marriage,” Amelia said. “As we’ve become more engaged with the SIU community, I have been able to see the legacy that Dan and his dad have had at SIU.”

To learn more about making a similar impact, visit siuf.org.

Celebrating Heritage: The Journey of Sunil Sinha

Dr. Sunil Sinha’s story is one of resilience, dedication, and a deep connection to his heritage. Born into a family originally from India, Sunil’s journey to the United States in the late ’60s marked the beginning of a remarkable path that would intertwine his professional achievements with his cultural roots.

After completing his residency in internal medicine, he joined the Carbondale Clinic and quickly established a busy practice. It was during this time that he began to consider how furthering his education might impact his career.

Sunil’s own academic journey led him to SIU, where he received an MBA at the College of Business Administration in 1998. Despite the challenges of balancing a busy clinical practice with his studies, Sunil found support and encouragement from faculty members, some of whom were family friends and even patients.

One of his most memorable experiences was a class with Dr. Reed Nelson, who taught organizational design and behavior.

“Dr. Nelson’s teaching style was quite entertaining, providing the class with a variety of perspectives on management styles and organizational cultures. His class was the one I enjoyed the most,” Sunil said.

The impact of his MBA was profound, opening doors for Sunil to transition from a full-time clinician to various roles in health care on a national stage. His first post-practice job was as the director of primary care at the VA Medical Center in Marion.

“A major consideration for me getting the job over several other more experienced candidates was the fact that I was the only one with an MBA. There was an assumption that the degree provided me with sufficient knowledge to lead the business side of medicine.” Sunil said.

Although that assumption turned out to be untrue, it opened the door to opportunities that built upon the experience he would go on to gain.

Sunil’s father, Dr. Atmesh Sinha, played a pivotal role in shaping his early life. As the first chairperson of the Department of Mining Engineering at Southern Illinois University, Dr. Sinha’s career spanned 25 years, leaving a legacy in Carbondale.

“My father has always been my strongest role model,” Sunil said. “His journey from a remote village in India to achieving degrees from several countries prior to arriving in the United States has been a constant source of inspiration for our family.”

Sunil’s career has been marked by groundbreaking moments and leadership roles. He proudly served as the second physician elected to the governing board of the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of over 40,000 health care leaders.

His ability to develop dyad partnerships in approaching complex clinical and operations challenges has been mutually beneficial, allowing him to navigate the intricacies of healthcare delivery with innovative solutions.

Reflecting on the challenges he faced in his field, Sunil emphasizes the importance of drawing on personal and team experiences to address situations, both new and old.

“Health care in general is a complex system with the expectation of delivering high-quality healthcare to diverse populations through a variety of payment mechanisms,” he explains. Sunil’s approach often involved taking calculated business risks to create sustainable solutions.

Sunil’s connection to SIU remains strong, driven by a desire to give back to the institution that played a crucial role in his career.

“My father had the opportunity to serve the university for 25 years. Including my wife (Rupali) and me, we have seven alumni from various colleges at SIU,” Sunil said.

He has served on the COBA External Advisory Board since 2000 and the Alumni Association Board since 2022. He is a member of the COBA Hall of Fame. Sunil and his wife have also created an endowed scholarship for current students at COBA, supporting initiatives that benefit both students and faculty.

As an advocate for young Asian American and Pacific Islander students aspiring to enter his industry, Sunil encourages them to embrace their diverse backgrounds and cultures as strengths.

“Don’t feel intimidated—let your diverse background and culture be the strength you bring to every role,” he said.

His message to the SIU community during AAPI Heritage Month is clear: “Be proud of your roots and origins. Share your passion, knowledge, and experiences to help address challenges and help others along their journeys of success.”

Sunil Sinha’s journey is a testament to the power of heritage, education, and perseverance. His story serves as an inspiration for future generations of AAPI leaders, reminding them to find their passion and pursue it with complete focus and energy.

As Sunil aptly puts it, “Paying it forward will help future generations of Salukis who, in turn, will hopefully keep the tradition going.”