Redbird Buzz

Ahead of the 2026-27 Illinois State basketball seasons, men’shead coach Ryan Pedon and women’s head coach Kristen Gillespie discuss their basketball backgrounds, their coaching philosophies, and what fans can expect from their respective teams this year. The men’s team, led by Pedon in his fifth season, was selected No. 2 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) preseason poll after advancing to th...

Political science alum Dan Hubbard '07 learned his first guitar chord in high school. By the time he graduated from Illinois State University, he had already released three albums. Hubbard's soulful and effortless sound spans multiple genres, from indie and Americana to R&B and pop. Those who listen to his albums will sense themes of love, loss, family, and the rollercoaster of life. I...

Andrew François ’11 is a violist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. A native of Kankakee, François began playing the violin at age 10, and stringed instruments have been a part of his life ever since. As an undergraduate student at Illinois State University, François majored in band and orchestra instruction and performance, and he served as a teaching assistant and private instructor for the...

Jillian Nelson stepped into the newly created role of assistant vice president for Alumni and Donor Engagement in September 2026. This appointment represents an exciting evolution for University Advancement at Illinois State, bringing alumni engagement, annual giving, and donor stewardship together under a unified vision to build deeper, lifelong relationships across the entire Redbird community....

Spanning 23 acres just north of campus, the Illinois State University Horticulture Center is far more than a scenic retreat. As part of the Department of Agriculture, it functions as a vibrant living laboratory for student learning, research, and community engagement, all under the passionate leadership of Redbird alum and director Jessica Chambers ’03. Chambers visited with Redbird Buzz to highli...

As Illinois State University kicks off a new academic year, President Aondover Tarhule visited with Redbird Buzz to discuss the University's forward momentum, which includes campus milestones, transformative projects, and resources for student success. Dr. Tarhule discusses the opening of Campus East this fall, home to the new College of Engineering. He also talks about how Illinois State is u...

A year after welcoming more than 150 students in its inaugural cohort, Illinois State University's College of Engineering is preparing to launch its second academic year in a brand-new home at Campus East. Director of Student Success and Recruitment Branden Delk joins Redbird Buzz to recap the college's landmark first year and share how he and his colleagues are creating an inclusive cultu...

Fresh off Illinois State University’s second-ever appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Championship game in January 2026, head coach Brock Spack joins Redbird Buzz ahead of the 2026-27 season. Spack, who is in his 18th year with the Redbirds, talks about last year’s historic FCS playoff run, during which Illinois State became the first team in FCS history to win four-straight...

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...