A MESSAGE FROM the Executive Director | | |
Dear Alumni Family,
Winter seasons are a time for pause and reflection. As we get closer to the end of snowy days and freezing nights, hopefully we've all had an opportunity to slow down at home and take stock in our lives; where we are currently, all we have done to get here, and the many possibilities our futures hold.
Your alma mater has always been a fighter and as a champion for equity and opportunity, this winter is no time to slow down. As we face uncertain times in federal and state funding, we persist. The ongoing capital projects continue and we see light at the end of the renovated-pool tunnel. Our partnership with Metra has bore fruit as they have agreed to upgrade our nearby station as a part of our 95th Street economic improvement plan, and our Foundation has had a record setting year, with sights on even more in 2025. We hope our alumni will join us for the ride.
The Chicago State Alumni Association continues it's evolution to better support the needs of our alumni, and some exciting opportunities are on the horizon, including a new alumni peer mentoring program we hope to launch later this year. We've also launched a new volunteer opportunity to become an Alumni Ambassador, and have just launched the new Scholarship Committee, engaging alumni in our scholarship awarding process. Last but far from least, we'll bring alumni together with faculty, staff and students to Springfield to advocate for more state funding.
Don't miss one of these new opportunities to engage by joining the alumni association; seeking out some of our new volunteer opportunities; attending one of our upcoming alumni events, sharing your alumni story or by exploring our growing alumni benefits.
Let's never forget that we are always stronger, together.
Sincerely,
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Melanie Sillas
Executive Director
Chicago State Foundation
| | | Honoring Loved Ones In Special Ways | | |
With her Master of Science in Education from CSU, Isamae Wilkes Mallett Bowie ‘71 served in the Chicago Public Schools for 38 years as a teacher, director of libraries, and assistant principal. Before her passing, she expressed her vision to educate generations to come. Her family created Mae's Boutique, a series of pop ups and garage sales, to use the proceeds to support CSU students. They raised over $3,000, enough to start a named scholarship fund in the Chicago State Foundation.
The Isamae Wilkes Mallet Bowie Memorial Scholarship was established, and will support outstanding students pursuing a career in elementary education.
At this year's Honors Convocation in April, three CSU scholars will be awarded the new honor in Bowie's name.
Thank you, Isamae and family for making this happen! To learn more about how you can honor a loved one with a named scholarship, read more here.
| | CSU Faculty Ensuring A Legacy at CSU | | |
Vincent Osaghae '84 was a professor of accounting at CSU for over 3 decades. Being and alumnus also, he understood the grit it takes for accounting students to make it. Currently, only 2% of CPAs in America are Black.
Upon his recent retirement, Mr. Osaghae and his wife gave a generous gift of their own to launch the Vincent and Mabel Osaghae Scholarship Fund, supporting CSU students by offsetting the cost of the CPA exam which has proven to be a common barrier among black and brown accounting graduates. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Osaghae! Support for this fund can be made here under Scholarships.
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Dr. Byung-In Seo is a long time professor at CSU in the College of Education. Having worked with the Ed.D program since its inception, Dr. Seo is dedicated to the quality of the program and determined to ensure CSU graduates of it become the best in their fields. For this reason, Dr. Seo donated her own money to launch two separate projects.
The first project is a five year pledge that will rehabilitate a Doctorate of Education classroom. The second project is a named fund, but she didn't name it for herself. The Doctorate of Education Student Research Fund is going to provide grants for Ed.D. candidates to support their research, making CSU more competitive against other schools that offer similar student support. Thank you, Dr. Seo! Support for this fund can be made here under Scholarships.
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CSU Awarded Prestigious Carnegie Classification
as a Research Institution
Washington, D.C. — The American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Carnegie Foundation) published the 2025 Research Activity Designations. For the first time in history, CSU was officially named as a Research College or University (RCU), a new designation that identifies research happening at colleges and universities that historically have not been recognized for their research activity. This prestigious recognition highlights CSU’s commitment to diversity and research to enhance higher education opportunities for our students.
This classification strengthens CSU’s ability to expand resources, attract funding, and provide students with a high-quality, affordable education.
As a university dedicated to progress, this achievement marks an important step forward in our ongoing mission to transform students’ lives by innovative teaching, research, and community partnerships through excellence in ethical leadership, cultural enhancement, economic development, and justice.
The full list of institutions that received a 2025 Research Activity Designation can be found here.
According to the Carnegie Foundation, the Carnegie Classification® is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education. The framework is used in the study of higher education and are intended to be an objective, degree-based lens through which researchers can group and study similar institutions. Carnegie Classifications are used in research study design to ensure adequate representation of sampled institutions, students, or faculty.
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Chicago State University is not only an academic institution. It is a powerful economic engine for the South Side and beyond, contributing $1.6 billion each year into the Illinois economy through bold initiatives in transit, infrastructure, and real estate development.
To support this, a transformative investment is being made in the Red Line Extension, 95th St./CSU Metra Station, and a $250 million revitalization project to create a vibrant university-style village. These projects will drive equitable transit access and economic growth, paving the way for a stronger, brighter future for Chicago's Southside. The project will improve transit accessibility by extending the Red Line from the existing terminal at 95th/Dan Ryan to 130th Street. The extension will include four new fully accessible stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street.
In addition, after almost two decades of advocacy, CSU secured a landmark victory for transit equity: the Metra Board of Directors approved a $33.4 million contract to rehabilitate and expand the Chicago State University Metra Station, located adjacent to campus on 95th Street. Construction on the project will begin this year, and the groundwork for it has already begun.
| | Chicago State Begins Search for Head Football Coach | |
Chicago State University has officially launched a search for its first football coach.
"We are excited to reach this milestone in our football planning. Hiring a coach will give this program a face and bring us one step closer to D-1 football on the South Side," said Dr. Monique Carroll, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at CSU. "Our ideal candidate is a leader who understands what it takes to build a program from scratch, and who can help create a clear vision for Cougar football."
CSU has retained Renaissance Search & Consulting (RSC), under the direction of Founder and CEO Herb Courtney, to lead the search, with a goal to make the hire this spring. Read the full story here.
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FOLLOW THE CSAA ON SOCIAL MEDIA
To stay in the know, be sure we have your updated email information here, and follow our CSAA accounts on social media below.
| | Join the CSAA today and be in the know on upcoming alumni opportunities including a mentoring program we'll launch later this year. | | |
Alumni can also take advantage of some great alumni benefits, including several discount programs....
- Local and national discount program
- Homebuyer Assistance program
- Health club membership at ChiTown Mecca Fitness
- CSU's Options Program
- Annual parking pass at CSU
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CSU International Student Job Search Insights
Learn from CSU international student alumni ways to improve your job search, challenges you may face, and other guidance.
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Event Address: Virtual via Zoom
Contact geo@csu.edu with questions
| | The Chicago State Alumni Association is operated out of the Chicago State Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising and engagement office of Chicago State University and is located on CSU's campus. | | | | |
