PEOPLE OF EIU

 
 

CONNECTING THE PANTHER COMMUNITY

 
   
 
 

As we embark on a new school year, it is with great excitement and optimism that I welcome each of you back to campus. Whether you are returning or joining us for the first time, Eastern Illinois University is a place where every individual contributes to our collective success and spirit.

In this August edition of People of EIU, we continue our tradition of highlighting the exceptional work and incredible individuals that make Eastern a truly special place. The dedication, passion, and creativity within our community never cease to amaze me, and I am proud of the work we accomplish together.

I encourage you to think about the people around you—your colleagues, classmates, and friends—who inspire you with their commitment and achievements. If you or someone you know deserves to be featured in an upcoming issue, please don't hesitate to nominate them. Your recognition could bring well-deserved attention to their efforts and contributions.

Additionally, if someone has gone above and beyond with something truly fantastic, be sure to give them a well-deserved Shout Out! Celebrating these moments of excellence helps to strengthen our community and reminds us all of the incredible talent and dedication present here at EIU.

Thank you for being part of this amazing community. Let’s make this school year one of growth, success, and shared achievement.

 
 
  
 
 

Jay Gatrell
President, Eastern Illinois University

 
 
 
 
NOMINATE A PERSON OF EIU
 
 
 
 
SUBMIT A SHOUT OUT!
 
 
 
 
PEOPLE OF EIU ARCHIVE
 
 
 
 

People of EIU: March 2024

 
 
 

Michele McDaniel

Education Librarian and Coordinator of the Ballenger Teachers Center

 
 
  
 
 

Michele McDaniel serves as EIU’s Education Librarian and Coordinator of the Ballenger Teachers Center at Booth Library. With roots in the West Coast, she moved to Illinois in 2001. Michele ultimately earned a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, and is proud to be an EIU alumna after earning a second master's degree in Education from EIU in 2020. A self-described bookworm, Michele started her career at EIU as a Booth Library assistant. Following four years at Carl Sandburg Elementary in Charleston, Michele rejoined EIU as its Education Librarian—"a perfect fit for me helping our future teachers in the College of Education succeed and procuring children's books for the library.” Her husband Ryan is a Charleston native and an EIU instructor, and together they share four young children — “my greatest joys,” she admits — with whom she spends her free time watching classic films and hiking. She also enjoys baking (she named her sourdough starter Mercy Watson), and knitting a variety of items for her family. Supplementing her EIU love for Booth Library and the Ballenger Teachers Center, Michele said “our family also loves walking from our home to campus on Saturday mornings in the fall and spring, having picnics on the library quad, and watching the homecoming parade every year.” A recent proud moment for her was helping to create a Family Hub in the library to assist student parents as they work toward their degrees. To find out more about the Family Hub, please visit its new website.

 
 
 
 
 

Kaen Henry

Deputy Director of Public Engagement, Tarble Arts Center

 
 
  
 
 

If you’re aware of the happenings at the Tarble Arts Center, Deputy Director of Public Engagement Kaen Henry likely had something to do with it. From Villa Grove, Illinois, Kaen said, “EIU has given me many opportunities for personal growth at a pace and environment that consistently fits my needs—providing both challenges that push me and space to breathe.” From being a founding member of and then taking on his first leadership position in Blue Room Magazine, joining the Tarble as a student designer and helping to build a visual identity for the museum in his undergrad to now overseeing all communications, design, and programming as a full-time staff member, Kaen shared that his favorite part of working at EIU is “getting to work with a bright, diverse, and genuine group of students.” In his spare time, he enjoys zine-making, Dungeons & Dragons, researching graphic design trends and news, typography and type design, etymology, casual video gaming, and spending time making memories with his partner and their two young children. When not promoting the Tarble, he loves visiting Budika the tortoise at the Thut Greenhouse, finding moments of slowness in the secret garden, and grabbing the occasional ‘pick-me-up’ drink and prairie harvest muffin at Java. Kaen also loves experiencing the exhibitions at the Tarble and attending the programs they host—not just because he works there, but because he cares deeply for and is incredibly proud of what the Tarble does and stands for.  

 
 

Mallorie Fonseca

Financial Aid Manager

 
 
  
 
 

Mallorie Fonseca is colloquially known as “The Scholarship Lady” in the Student Services Building, but her official title is Financial Aid Manager in the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at EIU. She hails from nearby Pana, Illinois, so Eastern was a place of friendly familiarity for her when she decided to pursue her undergraduate and graduate degrees at EIU. “It's the connections to people, the community we built, and the support we give one another,” Mallorie said. “I can't imagine doing what I do anywhere else because I love the people I work with and the way we work together to ‘make it happen’ for our students. “Making it happen” took on a new meaning over the past year, with FAFSA standardization creating some new and unique challenges for students, parents and families across the nation. But, Mallorie shared, “we are overwhelmed with support from our colleagues in other departments and offices. It's allowed us to stay on track as much as possible and overcome the unexpected obstacles. We truly have such an amazing team and I'm so thankful for them. In her spare time, Mallorie enjoys playing tabletop and video games with family and friends just as much as a weekend at home reading or painting with her husband and their pets. It makes my heart happy to see students do what they love,” she added. “At EIU, there's always someone in your corner rooting for you and supporting each other and our students."

 
 
 
 
 

Chidiogo “Didi” Okolie

 Resident Assistant, Andrews Hall

 
 
  
 
 

Chidiogo Okolie—or as her friends know her, “Didi”— is a Resident Assistant at Andrews Hall. She also has duties at the WEIU Radio station and as a National Residence Hall Honorary. A sophomore, she is a Computer Science major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, she attended high school at St Francis Catholic Secondary School before heading to America for her higher education experience. When asked what she loves about EIU, Chidiogo shared “I love how nice and welcoming everyone is. It made it easy and fun to get acclimatized and involved on campus as an international student. I have a lot of wonderful memories here, but one that I would love to share is about a Film Night event that I attended at the end of the Spring 2024 semester. It was organized by the School of Communication and Journalism and was intended to show the beautiful projects that graduating students in the Productions department had put together. As a person who is also interested in filmmaking and media, it struck my interest how good these students were at cinematography and the art of storytelling through film. I could feel how passionate and skillful they all were about their chosen field of study. It made me happy to see other like-minded people with more experience than me in one of my many interests.” Those other interests include photography, web design, programming, and animation. She enjoys attending University Board and Hall Council events, and hanging out with friends around the campus pond. “EIU is a small and chill campus with a very conducive environment for learning and making memories with others.”

 
 
 
NOMINATE A PERSON OF EIU!
 
 
 

Shoutouts - July 2024

 
 

Shannon Bell

Shannon has been a great support over the years! The list of the extra work she does is too land to detail. I will just say she is amazing and cleaned up my mistakes for many years. Thanks!

Deborah Conrad

Big thanks to Debbie for helping PPCC for 3 days during our time of need. 

Elizabeth Reeder

Big shout out to Beth for taking care of some of PPCC business during the time I was out sick for a week.

Lacey Spence

When a major technical issue caused our department to lose a lot of television spots, Lacey jumped into action to find, recreate, re-edit, and resend video clips quickly! Thanks for being a great team player during a chaotic scenario!

Rameen Karbassioon

When a major technical issue caused our department to lose a lot of television spots, Rameen jumped into action to find, recreate, re-edit, and resend video clips quickly! Thanks for being a great team player during a chaotic scenario! 

Dennis Riley

After a major technical issue that caused our department to lose a lot of media, Dennis helped coordinate our recovery process to make it as painless as possible! Thanks D-R!

Cody Borntreger

Cody's diligence and careful eye helped our department spot a major technical issue to ensure we had enough time to cover the problem. Thank you for your role in making our recovery process as painless as possible!

Mac White

When a major technical issue caused our department to lose a lot of television spots, Mac jumped in with quick action and a can-do attitude to make sure we always had a plan, and something on-air! Thank you Mac for making the recovery process seamless!

Travis Moody

I'm so proud of Travis M. and will miss him as he moves onto another adventure. Teaching is going to be a great move for you. You will be missed in Old Main.

Taylor Comer

Shoutout to Taylor and the rest of the NSFP team for a smooth and successful orientation season. Thank you for keeping us on schedule (or maybe that was just me!) and making the days as smooth as possible for us and our students. 

Tanya Willard

Shoutout to Tanya and her entire team for an awesome Orientation season. Thank you guys for taking care of us and our students. I'm always amazed by the problem solving, flexibility, and expertise of your team. You all go above and beyond for our new students and I hope you know how appreciated you are!

Cristine Shick

Thanks as always for the extra effort, Cristine! So glad you're part of the EIU family!

Alexandria Thomas

Thanks to Alex for helping us quickly in a crisis! Really appreciated it.

Stacey Knight Davis

Shout out to Stacey for being a strong supporter of her staff. You have championed change for us, offered endless support, and shared a wealth of knowledge. For all of that, and your ability to laugh at whatever wild idea we have next, I am very thankful.

Jana Aydt

Shout out to Jana for being such a good coworker. She is always going above and beyond by picking up extra responsibilities when needed. The cherry on top of having Jana as such a great coworker, is that she is also such a kind and caring person who can brighten the library with just her smile and warm greetings. Thank you, Jana!

Arielle Starkey

Shout out to Arielle for being a sounding board, a voice of reason, a supporter of, and a partner to my many programming ideas.  Thank you for all you do to make these events happen. Here's to a year of successful programs! It wouldn't have been possible without you and Adriane's help!

Adriane Sparks

Shout out to Adriane for being a sounding board, a voice of reason, a supporter of, and a partner to my many programming ideas.  Thank you for all you do to make these events happen. Here's to a year of successful programs! It wouldn't have been possible without you and Arielle's help!

Amie Calvert

A HUGE shout out to Payroll, Benefits, and the entire HR team for your individual and collective efforts over the past few weeks to support the FLSA transition. It's been a heavy lift - and your campus colleagues and I are grateful!

Amanda Repp

A HUGE shout out to Payroll, Benefits, and the entire HR team for your individual and collective efforts over the past few weeks to support the FLSA transition. It's been a heavy lift - and your campus colleagues and I are grateful!

Andrea Murphy

A HUGE shout out to Payroll, Benefits, and the entire HR team for your individual and collective efforts over the past few weeks to support the FLSA transition. It's been a heavy lift - and your campus colleagues and I are grateful!

Maddie Henebry

A HUGE shout out to Payroll, Benefits, and the entire HR team for your individual and collective efforts over the past few weeks to support the FLSA transition. It's been a heavy lift--and your campus colleagues and I are grateful!

Linda Holloway

A HUGE shout out to Payroll, Benefits, and the entire HR team for your individual and collective efforts over the past few weeks to support the FLSA transition. It's been a heavy lift--and your campus colleagues and I are grateful!

Elizabeth Reeder

Best of luck in your new professional venture, Beth - Business Ops are lucky to have you. We will miss your friendship as well as your professionalism and expertise here at the Union!

Kevin Bence

Kevin, your work in the EIU Bowling Alley has been top-notch; we are very lucky to have you join the team here at Eastern! Keep up the great work, and know that your professionalism and leadership are very much appreciated. 

Karen Beason

Karen, you keep the Campus Scheduling office afloat day after day; I can't imagine what we'd do without your expertise and experience! An immense amount of my success is thanks to your efforts and assistance; I could certainly not have succeeded in this job without you. The office and it's clients are lucky to have you!

Curtis Ayers

Curt, I am glad to have been able to work with you this summer! We had a great BSW staff and you made our lives MUCH easier with your knowledge of the building and advice on how and when to get things done. Thank you!

Jedd Tolen

Jedd, it's been great working with you this summer. I'm glad you came over to the Union and very much appreciate your help with our many summer projects -- the shine on our floors sure looks nice! Thanks for helping coordinate and prioritize our maintenance needs. 

Joseph Reiter

Thanks for your excellent work here at the Union, Joseph. It's nice to know the building is in good hands on second shift; we appreciate all you do! 

Greg Catron

Thank you, Greg, for keeping on top of our building needs here at the Union! I appreciate your willingness to always pitch in and help keeps all areas covered when your colleagues take time off, and your attention to detail on our summer projects. 

Dawn Porter

Thank you to Dawn Porter for all of her work getting the Economics department office up and running with the new phone system. Dawn always goes the extra mile so that things run smoothly in our department, and I am not sure she is aware of how much she is appreciated. Thank you, Dawn!

Melanee Bates

Thanks for working through the Terra Dotta sign in issues. You communicated the situation both effectively and throughly which helped IT understand the issue that was occuring. Students should now be able to log in without error and frustration with the steps you outlined. Great work and thanks again for your help. 

Brandy Verdin

Brandy is such a selfless and kind-hearted human being. I feel like she does not always receive the recognition she deserves, so I wanted to make sure everyone knew how awesome she is!

Michael Coventry

Thanks Mike for keeping Klehm Hall maintained for the past few years as you served all of use in Klehm Hall as a BSW.

Ryan Burge

A big Shout Out to Ryan Burge for being on the national news again (after 60 minutes), when he was on the PBS News Hour on Thursday! It's cool to see someone from EIU being interviewed. 

William Karpus

I want to thank Bill for his patience and help while sorting all of the many, many dining packages we receive each summer. It is hot in that moving truck-I appreciate what you do! 

Nicholas Fonseca

Thanks, Nick, for being a model of efficiency, courtesy, and positivity! Every time our department needs you, I know things will go well!

Joshua Hunt

Joshua, CDS is so happy with all of your hard work to keep our facilities so nice and CLEAN!!! It does not go unnoticed and we hope you want to stay with us. We appreciate all you do to keep our building is such good condition. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Chris Carter

A big shout to Chris for painting the office after the window was replaced. Chris was courteous and professional when working. Thank you.

Jim Ealy

Thank you for assisting with the new office window. Jim was respectful of the office space and kept it cleaned while working. 

Darrin Bishop

With much appreciation for all your hard work in replacing the window in my office. Thank you for a job well done. 

Alisa Gray

Thank you to Alisa Gray for all that she does for the Department of Human Services. You always go above and beyond, finds answers to questions we have if you don't know them, and your help and support through Department Chair and Academic Advising transitions is recognized every day. Thank you for all that you do to support our team. 

Nathan Brown

We've put a lot of moving work orders in this summer and really appreciate all that you do. You always get things done in a timely manner and communicate what is needed. We appreciate your sense of humor and the fact that you always have a smile on your face. Thanks for being a good colleague. 

Darren Donaldson

Thanks to Darren for always going above and beyond with all of the carpentry work he completes. He's always so efficient, thorough, and kind. We appreciate you in CHHS, Darren! 

Joshua Hunt

On behalf of the Medical Clinic, we would like to thank you for all the hard work you do here. It does not go unnoticed. You're up for anything we ask of you without complaint and go above and beyond the minimal requirements. Thank you!

 
 
 
SUBMIT A SHOUT OUT!