Redbird Buzz

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 (...

Dr. Katherine Ellison, professor and chair of English at Illinois State University, is an expert in 17th- and 18th-century British Literature and Culture. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , we attempt to decipher another area of Ellison’s scholarly work: the history of secret writings, or cryptography. Ellison is featured in the spring 2024 Redbird Scholar magazine.

James Mercer ’91 is no stranger to the fast-paced world of sports management, and that's certainly the case in his current role as commercial director for Envision Racing's Formula E team. Formula E is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA's) single-seat car racing series, which uses only electric vehicles. Mercer got his start in sports at Illinois State Univers...

Illinois State University alum Bunmi Akinnusotu, M.S. '06, is no stranger to the intricacies of foreign policy. From her childhood as a first-generation American listening to her Nigerian family discuss world politics and cultures, to her experience as a graduate student working with Illinois State's Stevenson Center and AmeriCorps , Akinnusotu has a passion for studying and understanding...

University Galleries at Illinois State University is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, and chief curator and two-time Redbird alum Kendra Paitz, MBA ’06, M.A. ’11, joins Redbird Buzz to discuss the history of the galleries and plans for the future. Paitz came to Illinois State in the mid-2000s to pursue a master's degree and fell in love with her work at University Galleries, working h...

Dr. R. David Edmunds is a well-known and trusted expert in Native American ethnohistory. Originally from Blue Mound—about 15 miles southwest of Decatur—Edmunds earned a master’s degree from Illinois State University in 1966 while teaching at Bloomington High School. He later earned an honorary degree from Illinois State in 2002 and a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012. Throughout the past 50 years...

World-renowned glass artist, sculptor, and designer Robert DuGrenier, M.F.A. ’70, joins Redbird Buzz to discuss how his ending up at Illinois State was one of the first steps to career success in the art world. DuGrenier, a 2018 Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame inductee, came to Illinois State as a graduate student, sight unseen, after being recruited while studying at the Hornsey Col...

Dr. Jana Albrecht, M.S. ’06, Ph. D. ’20, Illinois State University’s associate vice president for enrollment management, joins Redbird Buzz to discuss another historic incoming class for fall 2023—the University’s largest in 36 years. The class includes 4,147 freshmen, a 4% increase in new freshmen. Total enrollment also increased 1.5% to 20,989. This year’s incoming freshmen class averaged a high...

Dr. Dawn McBride, professor of psychology at Illinois State University, has been teaching and researching human memory for decades. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , McBride explains the inner workings of how we remember—and how we forget. McBride is featured in the fall 2023 Redbird Scholar magazine.

Dr. Judy Neubrander, dean of the Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN), is a tenured nursing professor with more than 25 years of academic experience who is leading the college through a time of expansion and opportunity. To help address the nationwide nursing shortage, MCN will officially open a new location in Springfield , in partnership with Memorial Health, on August 18, and the $18 million, 16,...

Dr. Taiwo Durowade ’09 is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who has practiced in south suburban Chicago for the past five years. Durowade joins Redbird Buzz to discuss how—and why—she focuses her practice on preventative care. She also talks about utilizing social media to deliver free medical advice to maximize her impact. Durowade earned a bachelor’s in biochemistry and molecular biolo...

Greg Cameron ’80 is the president and chief executive officer at the internationally renowned Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. In this episode of Redbird Buzz , Cameron connects the dots from his formative years growing up in western suburban Westchester, to discovering a love for performing arts at Illinois State University, to serving the Chicago arts scene for nearly 40 years. Cameron earned a bachel...

Special education alum and College of Education 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Dr. joyce gillie gossom '78 joins Redbird Buzz to share how her experience at Illinois State University paved the way for a dynamic career, which has included experiences as a teacher, elected official, consultant, leadership coach, higher education administrator, and author. During this episode of Redbird Buzz , gillie...

Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance alum Erin Levzow '06 has created a unique path through her career. From starting out in Las Vegas after graduation with $800 in her pocket, to currently serving as the chief marketing officer at the Museum of Ice Cream in Chicago, Levzow has leveraged her theatre degree and the life skills it taught her, and she has been "collecting ex...

Illinois State University alum and current scientific associate at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Candice Halbert '01 joins Redbird Buzz to share stories from her time as a chemistry major on campus and her journey to being named one of PEOPLE Magazine 's "Women Changing the World in 2023." In this episode, Halbert discusses the importance of representation in STEM fields and...

Barb Dallinger ’81, M.S. ’01, an Illinois State University alum, retiree, and leader of the University's LGBTQA+ Alumni Network , sits down with Redbird Buzz to share experiences from her time as a student, her 30-year career as an employee on campus, and as a leader and advocate for the University's LGBTQIA+ community. Dallinger graduated from Illinois State with a degree in music and wor...

Political science major Ash Ebikhumi just wrapped up his junior year at Illinois State University and sat down with Redbird Buzz to talk about his unique experience as the only student representative on the University's Board of Trustees. Ebikhumi was elected as student trustee by the student body and sworn into the role in October 2022. He will serve another term for the 2023-24 academic year...

Actor, comedian, singer, host, and producer Jane Lynch '82 sits down with Redbird Buzz to discuss the latest addition to her long list of titles—director. Lynch is visiting the Illinois State University campus this spring as an artist in residence, directing School of Theatre and Dance students in a staged reading of the Neil Simon comedy Lost in Yonkers . Lynch is best known for her Emmy Awar...