{"id":5301,"date":"2026-10-21T12:00:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=5301"},"modified":"2026-10-20T22:46:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T22:46:20","slug":"150000-gift-to-name-boehler-family-first-saluki-center-at-siu-support-first-generation-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=5301","title":{"rendered":"$150,000 gift to name Boehler Family First Saluki Center at SIU, support first-generation students"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SIU
SIU alumnus Jeff Boehler and his wife, Barbara, join SIU Chancellor Austin A. Lane during the 2025 Saluki Takeover Tour in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Boehlers have committed $150,000 to support first-generation students at SIU through the Boehler Family First Saluki Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus Jeff Boehler and his wife, Barbara, have committed $150,000 to support first-generation college students, helping them access the resources and guidance needed to earn their degrees.<\/p>\n

In recognition of their generosity, SIU will officially name the Boehler Family First Saluki Center during a ceremony Friday, Nov. 6, ahead of National First-Generation College Celebration Day on Nov. 8.<\/p>\n

For Boehler, a 1975 SIU graduate and first-generation college student, the gift reflects his own experience navigating higher education without the guidance and resources available to students today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope to continue growing the center and helping students who face the same challenges I did get a stronger start and ultimately earn their degrees,\u201d Boehler said.<\/p>\n

Honoring a father’s dream<\/strong><\/p>\n

Boehler grew up in the Chicago suburbs as the son of immigrants who came to the United States seeking better opportunities. His father, a mechanical engineer, encouraged Jeff to become the first in their family to attend college, taking him to recruitment events and emphasizing the importance of education.<\/p>\n

His father died during Jeff’s junior year of high school, but his encouragement stayed with him. Determined to fulfill his father’s dream, Boehler enrolled at SIU in 1970.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a first-generation student, it was a sink-or-swim environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Boehler changed majors several times and temporarily left school to earn money before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1975.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could have graduated sooner if I had known about the scholarships and other resources available to help me,\u201d Boehler said.<\/p>\n

Those experiences shaped his commitment to helping future generations of first-generation students overcome similar challenges.<\/p>\n

Approximately 40% of SIU undergraduates are first-generation students, meaning neither parent nor legal guardian has earned a bachelor’s degree. The First Saluki Center connects students with academic assistance, financial literacy education, social and emotional support, campus involvement opportunities and career preparation.<\/p>\n

Established in 2019 through a collaboration between the Division of Student Affairs and the Dean of Students, in partnership with Academic Affairs, the center offers peer mentoring to help students adjust to college life and connect with upperclassmen and graduate assistants.<\/p>\n

According to the center, 90% of participating students persist each academic semester, 93% maintain a cumulative GPA above 2.0, and all students surveyed would recommend the program to other first-generation students.<\/p>\n

Through conversations with Dr. Lanel Love, the assistant dean of students and director of the First Saluki Center, Boehler learned how the center addresses challenges he experienced. One story particularly resonated with him: The center helped a homesick student obtain a train ticket to visit family.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, it’s the little things that make the difference between staying in school and leaving,\u201d Boehler said.<\/p>\n

An SIU education that opened doors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite the challenges he faced, Boehler credits SIU with preparing him for a successful career in global manufacturing and supply chain leadership.<\/p>\n

After graduation, he worked as a truck driver and warehouse supervisor before joining Motorola, where he advanced through several leadership positions overseeing manufacturing operations worldwide.<\/p>\n

In 2003, he joined Honeywell, eventually overseeing global supply chain responsibilities involving approximately 35,000 employees across 50 countries before retiring in 2014.<\/p>\n

Boehler credits four lessons he learned at SIU with shaping his career: never give up, build relationships, learn how to learn and embrace diversity.<\/p>\n

The first was perseverance, which helped him overcome obstacles in college and throughout his professional life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat determination, that never giving up attitude, I think has helped me throughout my entire career,\u201d Boehler said.<\/p>\n

The second was building relationships. Once a shy student, Boehler developed lifelong friendships at SIU and learned to connect with others, skills that helped him work with colleagues, suppliers and customers around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to build those relationships helped me be successful in my career,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it started at SIU.\u201d<\/p>\n

Third, SIU taught him how to learn, analyze information and adapt, particularly important in the rapidly changing technology industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to continue that learning process throughout your entire career,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Finally, Boehler learned to appreciate diversity. Coming from the Chicago suburbs, he encountered students from urban, suburban and rural backgrounds, broadening his perspective and preparing him to work with people across 50 countries and six continents.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to embrace different cultures and recognize what brings us together and makes us better together was incredibly valuable to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Giving back to future generations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jeff and Barbara, who met while working at Motorola, have supported SIU for decades through charitable contributions and scholarships for first-generation students.<\/p>\n

Their involvement expanded after connecting with university representatives during Saluki Takeover Tour events in Florida, leading them to establish scholarship support through their family foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate to see lack of money be a reason why students can’t pursue their dream to get a college degree,\u201d Boehler said.<\/p>\n

Letters from scholarship recipients have reinforced the impact of their generosity, particularly when students share how the assistance helped them remain enrolled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s heartening to hear how those scholarships have helped students stay in school,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

After learning more about the First Saluki Center and meeting with Love, Boehler saw an opportunity to expand their support beyond scholarships.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve been very fortunate in our lives,\u201d Boehler said. \u201cWe’ve been very lucky with our career opportunities, with our family, and we both want to and know that we need to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their children and one of their grandchildren plan to join Jeff for the Nov. 6 naming ceremony, celebrating the family’s commitment to helping first-generation students succeed.<\/p>\n

The gift also reflects SIU’s commitment to educational access and student success. SIU is among just 21 universities nationwide to hold dual Carnegie classifications as a Research 1 institution and an Opportunity University.<\/p>\n

The Boehler family’s commitment adds to the momentum of the Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign, which recently surpassed its $500 million goal 20 months ahead of schedule. The campaign is one of the largest fundraising efforts in Illinois public university history.<\/p>\n

During the most recent fiscal year, the SIU Foundation awarded a record $6.9 million in scholarships to more than 2,200 students, benefiting nearly 19% of the student body.<\/p>\n

To learn more about supporting the First Saluki Center, visit https:\/\/salukicenter.siu.edu\/giving\/index.php<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus Jeff Boehler and his wife, Barbara, have committed $150,000 to support first-generation college students, helping them access the resources and guidance needed to earn their degrees. In recognition of their generosity, SIU will officially name the Boehler Family First Saluki Center during a ceremony Friday, Nov. 6, ahead of National … Continue reading $150,000 gift to name Boehler Family First Saluki Center at SIU, support first-generation students<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3,4,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donor-stories","category-higher-education","category-illinois-higher-education","category-siu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5303,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5301\/revisions\/5303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}