Redbird Buzz

For Illinois State University alum Sharon Ponder-Ballard ’86, education has always been about opening doors. Inspired by a mother who believed that "reading was freedom," Ponder-Ballard has dedicated her career to ensuring every student has access to books, opportunity, and the support they need to thrive. A Golden Apple Award winner and the most recent recipient of the Illinois State Al...

Illinois State University College of Business alum Brandon Holtz ’10 is a former Redbird men's basketball player who won the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in September 2025, earning a spot in the 2026 Master’s and the U.S. Open Golf Championship, while working as a realtor in Bloomington-Normal.

Dr. Bob Navarro ’91, M.S. ’93, Ph. D. ’02, serves as CEO of Heritage Corridor Destinations, where he oversees attractions and programs along Illinois and Michigan Canal towns, the Starved Rock area, and the first 100 miles of Route 66. During this episode of Redbird Buzz , Navarro discusses planning for the “Mother Road’s” 100th anniversary celebration during summer 2026. Established in 1926, Rout...

Erica Lauren Maholmes, M.F.A. ’22, did not originally envision herself doing behind-the-scenes work in theater, but through her experience in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts and School of Theatre, Dance, and Film, she discovered a passion for lighting design. Maholmes' work as a lighting designer and master electrician has taken her to stages across the country, including Steppenwolf Thea...

Dr. Jeri Beggs was named Illinois State University's director of Athletics in March 2025 after serving as the interim AD since May 2023. Beggs is Illinois State's 13th director of Athletics in the NCAA Division I era and the first woman to hold the position. She joins Redbird Buzz to discuss the path she has taken and her vision for the future of Illinois State Athletics. In this episode,...

Vivian Kong Doctora ’96 is a community builder who connects people and culture through food. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , Kong Doctora discusses her many entrepreneurial ventures, including a steam bun business (Bao Destination), instructional cooking courses, and a partnership in a revolving sushi bar. She also shares how her culture and family traditions have inspired her food-centered busi...

Ruth Burke, an assistant professor of video in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University, is an interdisciplinary artist who collaborates with animals in her creative practice. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , Burke discusses her project “Re-Integration of Mixed-Power Systems in Agroecological Intensification,” in which she is utilizing her team of oxen, Clark and Sparky,...

Illinois State University Archivist April Anderson-Zorn returns to Redbird Buzz following a semester-long sabbatical spent researching the role of women from Illinois State Normal University in World War I. In this episode, she shares the story of a handful of history-making women and their experiences on the frontlines, helping to rebuild war-torn areas of Europe following the war, and what their...

Dr. René Revis Shingles, M.S. ’86, has blazed a trail for women in athletic training. She earned a master's degree from Illinois State University's School of Kinesiology and Recreation and was the 13th Black woman in the U.S. to become a certified athletic trainer in 1987. Shingles worked as both a practitioner and educator over her more than 35 years in the field and was the first-ever Af...

Illinois State University is set to welcome its first cohort of students in the new College of Engineering in fall 2025. As the college prepares to educate the next generation of engineers, Dr. Nesrin Ozalp, the founding chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, shares her excitement for this significant addition to Illinois State's academic offerings. Ozalp joins Redbird Buzz to look...

Dr. Mack Wood, Illinois State University's associate director of bands and director of the Big Red Marching Machine, joins Redbird Buzz for a behind-the-scenes look at all things marching band. The Big Red Marching Machine is comprised of more than 400 students representing every college on campus and is set to perform in Dublin, Ireland, at the 2025 St. Patrick's Day Parade. From discover...

Ahead of Illinois State University’s LGBTQA+ reunion weekend, Wonsook Kim School of Art alum, drag queen, and entrepreneur Sharon ShareAlike ’94, M.F.A. ’98, joins  Redbird Buzz . ShareAlike and the ShareAlike family are headlining the closing event at the LGBTQA+ reunion weekend on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Illinois State. All are welcome to attend the events Friday, January 31 and Saturday,...

Quanisha Kumi-Darfour ’06 was named the director of Career Services at Illinois State University in July and has big plans for the department's future and its role in the professional lives of Redbirds of all ages. Kumi-Darfour, a 2006 chemistry graduate of Illinois State, credits the connections she made on campus as a student and her experience with an unexpected career change for setting her on...

Brad Marcy ’09, M.S. ’17, has a unique approach to teaching his students about history at Le Roy High School. Through his SEAR model, Marcy's lessons employ learning that can be situational, experiential, authentic, and reflective. Marcy joins Redbird Buzz to share how this hands-on approach stemmed from his experiences as an Illinois State University alum and veteran. During this episode, Marcy r...

Dr. Daniel López, Ph. D. ’02, joins Redbird Buzz to share details of his career journey in higher education and how he makes an impact on the lives of students. López is president of Harold Washington College, a community college that is part of the City Colleges of Chicago system, and a campus that enrolls more than 70% Latinx or African American students. López received his doctoral degree in ed...

Longtime Illinois State University sports information director and School of Communication professor Tom Lamonica, M.S. ’88, joins Redbird Buzz ahead of his induction into the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame as the 2024 Campbell “Stretch” Miller Award recipient. Lamonica, who arrived at Illinois State in 1980, served as director of sports information for more than 26 years befor...

Steve Pankow ’11 is the Chicago Bulls’ head equipment manager and team travel coordinator. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , Pankow discusses his career path—from working with the Illinois State University football team as a student, to interning with two NFL teams, to working full-time for Redbird Athletics, to scoring his dream job with the Bulls. A 2011 Illinois State graduate who majored in cr...

Jeff Mavros, M.S. ’06, executive director of Admissions and recruitment marketing, joins Redbird Buzz to discuss Illinois State University’s historic incoming class for fall 2024, which is the University’s largest and most diverse in school history. The University welcomed 4,285 First Time in College (FTIC) students for 2024-25, a 3% increase from 2023. The class consists of more than 1,000 studen...

Former Redbird diver Caroline Lecoeur '21 joins Redbird Buzz to recount her experience as the deputy manager for diving at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In this episode, Lecoeur, a native of Lyon, France, discusses her journey—from France, to Illinois State University, to the Olympics. As a Redbird, Lecoeur was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Diver of the Year in 2021 and 2019. Her...

Illinois State University Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Ani Yazedjian joins Redbird Buzz to share the story of her personal and professional journey and her plans for the upcoming academic year on campus. Yazedjian was named Illinois State's provost in May 2024 after serving one year as acting provost. She started at Illinois State as chair of the Department of Family and...

Illinois State University alum David Breen '88 joins Redbird Buzz to share memories from his 37-year career with Special Olympics Illinois and how his experience as a recreation program management major prepared him for more than a decade as the organization's president and CEO. A 2024 Alumni Achievement Award winner , Breen recounts his experience as an Illinois State student volunteering...

After earning a Bachelor of Science in theatre from Illinois State University in 1991, Jennifer Rudnicke has spent the past 30 years in casting, including the past 22 years as co-owner and casting director of Paskal Rudnicke Casting in Chicago. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , hear how Rudnicke and her business partner, Mickie Paskal, cast for TV, film, commercials, voiceover, and print. Some of...

In this special crossover episode of Redbird Buzz and the School of Communication's COM-versations , Alicia Bettes '94 shares the story of her professional journey that started on the campus of Illinois State University. Bettes was inducted into the Illinois State University Broadcast Hall of Fame this month and was on campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of TV-10, Illinois State's...

President Aondover Tarhule was appointed the 21st president of Illinois State University on March 18 and, in this episode of Redbird Buzz , he shares what the first few weeks of his presidency have looked like, details of the path he took to get to this point, and how he hopes to create a legacy at the University. Dr. Tarhule arrived at Illinois State in August of 2020 to serve as vice president f...

Kelly Rhoades ’14 is making her big league debut this spring as an assistant athletic trainer for the Detroit Tigers. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , Rhoades shares her journey from Illinois State University’s athletic training program to nearly a decade, primarily in Minor League Baseball (MiLB), with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Now, she is beginning her first Major League Baseball (...