![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC_0336w-1024x682.jpg\")
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By Jeff Wilson<\/p>\n
Each spring, the SIU School of Art and Design hosts Design Days<\/a>, which brings professional designers, both alumni and non-alumni, to campus.<\/p>\n With \u201cMomentum\u201d as this year\u2019s theme, the focus was on moving the field of design forward. The event and its theme were each representative of the dedication needed to be successful.<\/p>\n Mark Stenftenagel is a good example of that dedication. A 1973 alumnus of the SIU Design program, Stenftenagel has made an impact through monetary donations and personal effort.<\/p>\n \u201cI had an extremely rich, enjoyable experience at SIU,\u201d he said. \u201cThe more I get involved, the more I enjoy it. It\u2019s a great university. There are really good students here.\u201d<\/p>\n Making a noticeable impact \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n His philanthropy has helped the university\u2019s Design program stay modern. In 2014, the program moved to a new workspace in Pulliam Hall, leaving behind the Blue Barracks on East Campus. A $30,000 donation from Stenftenagel helped ensure the program could thrive in its new location.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of people like Mark, we have dedicated Design scholarships,\u201d said Rob Lopez, interim director of the School of Art and Design. \u201cIt helps with recruitment and retention. Our students can be proud when they leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Stenftenagel also facilitates the delivery of free furniture that comes from Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The mart is a wholesale design center, and when it gets new inventory, the old items need a home. Stenftenagel has made sure the SIU Design program is one of those new homes.<\/p>\n Before visiting SIU for Design Days on April 6, he loaded a truck and trailer (donated by his colleagues at Installation Specialists in Itasca) and brought a shipment of new furniture along with him.<\/p>\n From football to furniture design and beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n Stenftenagel came to SIU on a football scholarship. He later decided to forgo football and focus on design.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to study design, and I also wanted to play football,\u201d he said. \u201cSouthern was the best place to do that. I hated to leave the team. It was tough.\u201d<\/p>\n After his junior year, Stenftenagel took a break from the design program and started an on-campus preschool. He designed the furniture for the school so that it could be easily set up and broken down each day.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was called Alpha Preschool,\u201d he said. \u201cIt had a really open environment, which is what a lot of schools are going to nowadays.\u201d<\/p>\n After meeting his future wife, Margaret, a 1972 SIU alumna, Stenftenagel sold the preschool and finished his design degree. After graduating, the couple moved to Boston for about two years, before returning to Illinois and settling in Elmhurst.<\/p>\n In 1984, he founded Whitney Architects<\/a>, which focuses on architecture and interior design. A year later, he started Q Design<\/a>, which does industrial design, focusing mostly on furniture.<\/p>\n \u201cThe world needs good design,\u201d Stenftenagel said. \u201cWhat we learned (at SIU) is more pertinent today. Design is the essence of problem solving. All kinds of companies are looking for design. The need is there.\u201d<\/p>\n To learn more about the School of Art & Design, visit www.cola.siu.edu\/artanddesign<\/a>.<\/p>\n The SIU Foundation is in the midst of Forever SIU, a three-year fundraising campaign. To learn more about the campaign and how to give, visit www.foreversiu.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Engage with us on\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jeff Wilson Each spring, the SIU School of Art and Design hosts Design Days, which brings professional designers, both alumni and non-alumni, to campus. With \u201cMomentum\u201d as this year\u2019s theme, the focus was on moving the field of design forward. The event and its theme were each representative of the dedication needed to be … Continue reading Design alumnus, entrepreneur strengthens legacy through philanthropy<\/span> ![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/DSC_0334w-300x200.jpg\")
A giant Q on the wall in the Pulliam Hall Design Wing, denotes Stenftenagel\u2019s impact on the program. It represents the Q Lounge, which is filled with furniture he helped acquire.<\/p>\n