A MESSAGE FROM the President of the ACA Board
|
|
Dear CSU Alumni Family,
Spring is here and with it comes growth; the flowers are blooming, leaves are returning to the trees. It's a season of evolution setting the stage for the next chapter, during which I take stock in my blessings, and my opportunities.
At CSU, growth is all around us and it's showing. The University is investing in several campus improvement projects, growing existing programs to accommodate the post-COVID regrowth in enrollment, and building new programs to bridge the gap in education inequity that the pandemic only worsened for the most vulnerable college-hopefuls in our community.
This growth doesn't come free. With such important work comes great responsibility and CSU is leaning into the challenge. From expanding old partnerships to cultivating new ones, the need for support has never been higher. It's for this reason our Alumni Council Advisory Board has decided to lean in as well, by growing our small advisory team so that we might have alumni voices from all colleges reflected in the advice and guidance of the Chicago State Foundation's efforts to support the University in all of her growth. Stay tuned for more details on how you might participate on this special advisory team as we work to finalize these growth plans in time for the new school year.
In the meantime, I am excited to grow our alumni community as the University prepares to host its 369th Commencement Ceremony on May 12, 2022, conferring degrees upon the latest members of this alumni community. I invite you to leave a note of support and congratulations to our newest alumni by clicking here.
As always, we are stronger, together.
Lazarus Goosby
President of the Alumni Council Advisory Board
Chicago State Foundation
|
|
Volunteers In Action
Alumni are the backbone of any university culture, and at CSU, our community is stronger than ever. Dating back to 1867, the alumni of Chicago Teacher's College and Chicago State University continue to be a reliable source of support on campus and off. Alumni have acted as program consultants to academic department leadership, advisors to the Chicago State Foundation on alumni engagement, and mentors to current CSU students.
As a part of our volunteer growth strategy this fiscal year, our Alumni Council Advisory Board has partnered with the CTC/CSU Alumni Association to present several virtual programs and workshops about things that matter to CSU alumni. Combining forces has enabled the Foundation to produce several virtual events, including the virtual panel series, Self-Care in a Continuing Pandemic, which brought together wellness experts across several disciplines, many from our own alumni community. They also co-sponsored Fireside Chats pairing President Scott with impressive alumni like Major General William Walker and the CTC/CSU Alumni Association President, Yvette Warren. This growing partnership also brought to CSU special programming in our myGPS Bootcamp series, helping up to 50 young and new alumni fine-tune their life's purpose as they begin their journey after CSU.
More opportunities for alumni to engage will continue to grow into the new academic year with a career-focused strategy for these volunteer boards. As pandemic restrictions continue to ease, we look forward to in-person networking events, and growing more volunteer opportunities for alumni to participate in advisory roles, mentoring roles, as panelists, and more.
Be sure not to miss these opportunities by updating your contact information here.
|
|
The Dr. David Kanis Child Care Development Center Opening Soon
The Dr. David Kanis Child Development Center will provide an educational childcare program for students ages 3 to 12 years old and a home visiting program for families with children up to 3 years old. The program is now accepting applications and will begin on-campus services in the coming months.
This Head Start preschool program offers children a supportive environment using a project-based curriculum focusing on social, emotional, and cognitive development for school readiness, and is led by long-time Early Childhood educators, Julie Labuda and TaCarra King. Ms. Labuda has 21 years of early childhood education experience and is a graduate of the Erikson Institute with an MS in Child Development and Administration. Ms. King comes to this new center with 6 years of experience and is a CSU alumna, earning her BA in Early Childhood Education and is currently working toward her Master's degree.
Meet the teachers and staff of the Child Development Center at the Open House on April 28, 2022 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, College of Education Building, Room 107. Take a tour and bring the family. Refreshments will be available, activities will be held throughout the day, and an age-appropriate gift book will be offered to every child that attends. To register for this event, click here.
|
|
Growing A Love For Reading:
CSU Alumna Achieves
2022 Librarian of the Year
As a librarian at Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago, CSU Alumna Kimberly C. Boyd (K.C. Boyd) transformed the reading culture, helping the school go from a second to last ranking among schools in Illinois when she arrived in 2010 to earning an “Excellent Standing” by 2014.
A few years later, as the lead librarian of East St. Louis School District #189, she led a rebuilding effort of eight libraries for schools where 100 percent of students lived below the poverty line. By the time she was done, more than 15,000 books had been checked out by students over the school year, a first for the district.
Since becoming the librarian at Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington, DC, in 2017, Boyd has continued her inspirational work—from elevating digital literacy to running a popular makerspace program that has attracted more students to the library. These remarkable achievements, as well as her commitment to advocacy and activism in support of librarianship, have earned Boyd the 2022 School Librarian of the Year Award.
It’s another in a long list of accolades for her two decades of dedication to the profession. Those include induction into the Chicago Public Schools “Librarian Hall of Fame” in 2014, being named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2015, and winning the District of Columbia Library Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2020.
In the words of Kevin M. Washburn, director of library programs for District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), Boyd is a “shining star in the field.”
“In my work with Ms. Boyd over the past few years, I have seen a leader dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children address issues of systemic racism and bridge the equity divides across multiple levels that limit access to information and resources,” Washburn wrote in his nomination letter. Read the full story here.
|
|
Cougar Congratulations!
Kimberly C. (K.C.) Boyd, '02 - has been honored as the 2022 School Librarian of the Year. The annual honor is issued by the School Library Journal (SLJ) and is sponsored by Scholastic honoring a K-12 library professional for outstanding achievement to engage children and teens toward fostering multiple literacies.
Denise Nunes, '22 - Was accepted to the PhD program at Mizzou studying Information Science, and will begin this fall after graduating from CSU this spring.
Chicago State Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members, Erin Inman and Joseph A. Cancila, to its Board of Directors.
-
Jessica Poole to Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer,
-
Sam Brief to Director of Creative Content and Broadcasting,
-
Wil DiSabitino and Matthew Arriaga to Directors of Internal Operations
|
|
Remembered with Love
It is with our heartfelt sympathy that we extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all Cougars that have passed in recent months. Some of those include:
Dr. Kenneth W. Nelson passed away in late January at age 90. Dr. Nelson was a longtime Chemistry professor at CSU until his retirement in 1985, after which he became a celebrated artist and sculptor.
Edna Mae Dantzler, '72 passed away January 28, 2022. Ms. Dantzler was a lifelong teacher serving in several schools over her 30-year career.
Thomas Joseph Carroll, '69 passed away on January 31, 2022 at age 79. Mr. Carroll earned his bachelor's degree from CSU in 1969 and went on to a long career with the IRS.
Dr. Jerry Osborne passed away on February 26, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. Born in 1938, Dr. Osborn studied Psychology at CSU before earning his Ph.D. from Purdue University.
Apostle Dr. Yvonne Lee-Wilson, '01 passed away on February 28. Dr. Lee-Wilson was a graduate of the CSU class of 2001 and came from a family of clergy, serving in ministry for over 35 years when she died.
Dr. Rita Kucera, a long-time History professor at CSU, passed away in March 2022. Dr. Kucera was a professor of history at CSU for over 20 years, and was Emeritus Faculty when she died.
|
|
SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE
We want to hear from you!
Share your significant accomplishments (i.e., promotions, new jobs, retirements, special recognitions or honors) with your fellow alumni!
|
|
UPDATE MY ALUMNI PROFILE
Update your Alumni Profile to receive exciting campus news and invitations to alumni events. Your information will never be shared publicly but it will be shared with the CTC/CSU Alumni Association.
|
|
SAVE THE DATE: September 30, 2022
Tickets on sale later this spring
|
|
CSU's 367th Commencement Ceremony
Celebrate the 367th graduating class this May at 10:45 am. The university will be conferring degrees upon almost 400 students in person for the first time in two years. This event will be live-streamed at www.csu.edu.
Send a note of congratulations to the Class of 2022 by filling out this form.
Thursday, May 12, 2022 | 10:45 AM CDT
Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center
|
|
Follow us on social media |
|
Chicago State Foundation | 9501 S. King Dr., ADM 126, Chicago, IL 60628 | csu.edu |
|
|
|
|
|
|
