By Britni Bateman

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Dan Korte began his two-year term as president of the SIU Foundation Board of Directors on July 1, 2025, and has hit the ground running.

“It’s a great time to be part of the SIU Foundation,” Korte said. “In my tenure as president, we will open the Tedrick Welcome Center, continue the proposed student housing project at the former Greek Row, and, if we keep pushing, finish our $500 million campaign ahead of schedule. My goal is to be a catalyst that helps the university turn momentum into results.”

Korte, an SIU alumnus and longtime aerospace executive, said his priorities are straightforward: keep the focus on students, accelerate projects that improve the campus experience, and invite more alumni and friends to invest their time, talent and treasure.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the students,” he said. “I want more Salukis to have the chance I had, including the student who can’t register because of a bursar hold. If I can connect that student with a donor who wants to remove barriers, it will be a successful two years.”

A classic Saluki story

Korte’s path to SIU began with a nudge from his father on an early-morning work trip near his hometown of Breese, Illinois. College wasn’t part of his plan. His family worked in farming and construction, and he assumed he would do the same.

“Out of the blue, my dad asked, ‘Son, what are you going to do with your life?’” Korte recalled. “A day before classes started at SIU, I threw clothes into my 1970 Monte Carlo and drove to Carbondale. I wasn’t enrolled and didn’t have housing. I walked into Woody Hall and said, ‘I’d like to go to school here tomorrow.’ The staff took a deep breath and figured it out. That decision changed the trajectory of my life.”

Korte arrived in 1978 and graduated in 1985 with an associate degree in electronic data processing and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He worked on campus the entire time, including in the maintenance department. The staff, he said, became an extended family.

“The carpenters, electricians and plumbers I worked with looked out for me,” he said. “They knew I was far from home and a first-generation college student. They gave me advice, time to study before finals and, once, even took me fishing at Crab Orchard Lake. People across this university helped me make it.”

Southern Illinois also became a place he loved beyond the classroom. Korte still hikes the Shawnee National Forest and makes time to circle Campus Lake when he visits.

“We have heaven on earth right here,” he said.

A career built on curiosity and grit

Curiosity led Korte from coding to circuits. After completing his associate degree, he decided he wanted to understand the “brains” of computing and pursued electrical engineering.

The choice launched a 42-year career in aerospace. A student internship at McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) turned into multiple offers and, eventually, leadership of tactical fighter programs. He later held roles at Rolls-Royce’s aerospace division, served as CEO of LMI Aerospace, and spent his final five years with PPG in aerospace materials. Today, he serves on two public company boards and remains active with SIU as a member of the advisory board for the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology and Mathematics.

“SIU taught me how to learn and how to work with people from every background,” he said. “That prepared me for everything that came next.”

Giving back with purpose

Korte and his wife, Dawn, a proud Saluki and a leader in the SIU Foundation Women’s Leadership Council, fund an annual scholarship and stay closely involved with students and faculty.

“There are many good causes in the world,” Korte said. “We chose SIU because education is the best return on investment. You can give someone a fish, or you can teach them how to fish. SIU teaches people how to fish for a lifetime.”

This year’s scholarship recipient, he noted, is pursuing a career of national service.

“Helping him get over the finish line and into the world as a Saluki graduate is a wonderful feeling.”

Goals for 2025-27

Korte outlined several objectives for his term that align with the university’s Imagine 2030 strategic plan:

• Support the opening of the Tedrick Welcome Center as the new starting point for campus visits
• Champion the proposed Saluki Village student housing project to enhance the on-campus experience
• Help drive the SIU Foundation’s campaign, with more than $409 million already raised toward the $500 million goal
• Expand opportunities for scholarships and emergency aid that keep students on track to graduate
• Invite alumni to reconnect with SIU through mentoring, classroom visits and service, in addition to philanthropy

“From one end of campus to the other, the SIU Foundation is involved in work that improves the student experience,” he said. “We can’t do it alone. But we can be the spark that gets things moving.”

Korte also encourages alumni to come back and see the progress for themselves.

“Walk around Campus Lake. Visit the new spaces. Sit in on a class. Share your story,” he said. “Once a Saluki, always a Saluki, and this family is stronger when we show up for each other.”

As he starts his presidency, Korte is clear-eyed and optimistic.

“Enrollment is growing, research is expanding and the campus is transforming,” he said. “My job is to help the foundation harness that momentum and keep the focus where it belongs: on opening doors for students.”

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is one of only 21 institutions — out of nearly 4,000 nationwide — recognized by the Carnegie Classifications for both top-tier research (Research 1) and opportunity-focused outcomes. The SIU Foundation’s Imagine SIU 2030 campaign has raised more than $422 million toward its $500 million goal to advance student success, research and innovation, and other strategic priorities. In the most recent fiscal year, the SIU Foundation awarded more than $5.6 million in scholarships to 2,111 students, representing 17% of the student body.

Learn more at siuf.org.